Sheffield GP 'very excited' as Covid vaccinations get underway in city

The first patients are getting their jabs today after Sheffield Teaching Hospitals was chosen as one of more than 50 hubs around the country to deliver the Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine.

GPs are expected to begin injections soon as part of the phased vaccination programme, with people aged over 80, care home residents and health and care workers being first in line to receive the vaccine.

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Dr Ollie Hart, of Sloan Medical Centre in Meersbrook, today shared this heartwarming video explaining how he and fellow medics are ready to do their bit to help the country return to normal so families can embrace again.

“I’ve come round the corner to see the sun rising and I’ve just had a little buzz in my pocket which shows that the first vaccine for Covid’s just been given to a 90-year-old lady,” he says in the short film, shot on his way into work this morning.

"I’m really genuinely very excited about the part GPs can play now in just hitting back against this.

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"We’ve had such a terrible year, haven’t we? This has got to be our chance to give injections to people. Something we do, something we can do, something that’s easy for us to do and organise.

"And we’ll do it. We’ll vaccinate as many people as we need to make sure that we get over this virus and get back to normal, get our kids back to school properly, get businesses working again and just get connecting with people.

"Goodness, so many people have missed each other, haven’t we? It’s so exciting to feel this could be our moment to do something good.”

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While vaccinations are getting underway this week, the Government has said it expects the majority of the most vulnerable people to receive their jabs in January and February.

Everyone being vaccinated will need a booster jab 21 days after their initial injection to give them the best possible protection against the virus.

NHS England chief executive Sir Simon Stevens said this is the largest vaccination programme this country has ever seen, and he described it as ‘a decisive turning point in the battle against the virus’.