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All Care Homes across the Western Trust see completion of Vaccination Programme

27/02/2021

The Western Trust has now seen the successful completion of the drive to administer first and second doses of COVID-19 vaccine across all care homes.

Western Trust vaccination teams have been responsible for administering vaccines to all 64 care homes located across the Trust area since the vaccination programme began on 14 December.

Slieve Na Mon Care Home in Omagh was the last in the Vaccination Programme list for the 1st and 2nd doses of the vaccine to staff and residents and the team will now be ‘mopping up’ any vaccines required in the Care Home sector for the Trust.

The schedule has allowed sufficient time for those outbreaks of infection to conclude and vaccination to subsequently be offered to those residents within care homes affected.

Speaking about the important milestone, Western Trust Director of Nursing and Primary Care and Older Peoples Services, Dr Bob Brown, said: “Today marks a very important date in our fight against Covid-19 because it’s the day we have managed to provide a second dose of the Covid-19 vaccine to every resident at every care home in the Western Trust area.”

“It’s really great to be able to celebrate this milestone after just two months of sustained effort on behalf of our vaccinators and I would like to express my personal thanks to each and every member of the vaccination team who have helped us get to this point through their hard work and dedication.”

This latest news comes in the same week as the Western Trust announced reaching the impressive 50,000 vaccination dose milestone and the four UK Chief Medical Officers recommended that the Regional Alert Level should move back from Level 5 to Level 4.

The progress in vaccinating care homes has been hailed by Health Minister Robin Swann as an important milestone in the battle against COVID-19.

But the Minister has warned that measures to protect care home residents and staff from coronavirus will not be relaxed at this stage.  These measures include strict infection prevention and control practices, maintenance of social distancing, use of personal protective equipment (PPE) and a programme of regular asymptomatic testing.

The Minister said: “Vaccination will provide vital protection to our care home residents. It will save lives and reduce serious illness. My heartfelt thanks go all those involved in delivering the vaccination programme across our care homes. I very much welcome the fact that this aspect of our vaccination programme is completed.”

“We will need to maintain a precautionary approach, particularly given the prevalence of the virus in the wider community and the fact that vaccination of the overall population remains at a relatively early stage.”