Vaccination programme begins

Thursday 17 December 2020

The first COVID-19 vaccine has been administered in Guernsey, in a "landmark" day in the battle against the virus.

Dr Sue Fleming, Matron at St John’s Residential Home, was the first person in the Bailiwick to receive the vaccine as part of the first priority cohort.

She received her first dose of the Pfizer vaccine in the Emma Ferbrache Room of the PEH, where other frontline workers and residential or care home staff will be vaccinated over the coming weeks.

“To be in a position to roll out the vaccine before the end of this challenging year is down to the hard work and dedication of staff across the States of Guernsey,” said Health and Social Care President, Deputy Al Brouard.

“The infrastructure required to roll out a vaccine that needs to be sorted at ultra-low temperatures has been put in place at a significant pace."

Pictured: Director of Public Health Dr Nicola Brink described the vaccine’s approval as a "light at the end of the tunnel".

“We are exceptionally pleased that we can start this programme with very low numbers of cases, and no evidence of community seeding. This makes the roll-out a much simpler process, and is down to the continued #GuernseyTogether spirit in the Bailiwick.”

The vaccine will be administered to Bailiwick residents according to the priority groups established by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JVCI). Up to 47,000 vaccinations could be administered once all priority groups have been reached.

Pictured: The media were invited to document the first vaccination Thursday 17 December.

The Emma Ferbrache Room will be used for the first of these groups, but wider community vaccinations will be administered at the Sir John Loveridge Hall at Beau Sejour. Preparations for this are scheduled to begin on 21 December.

CLICK HERE to read more about the States of Guernsey’s vaccination programme.

Pictured top: Dr Sue Fleming was Guernsey's first person to receive the COVID-19 vaccination.