Covid-19 Vaccines will be available for patients over 85 in the Swanlinbar GP. The first delivery has been made this morning. IT is hoped that most of those over 80 will also get vaccinated in this round. The practice will start arranging appointments as a matter of urgency.
This is very welcome news for the patients of this practice and their families who have been anxiously waiting for confirmation of the availability of the Vaccine.
It is unfortunately amongst the last practices to get the Vaccine but now that the issues have all been addressed the flow of vaccines should now progress for patients on the same basis as all other practices over the coming weeks.
The HSE have worked closely to address the requirement for the practice to administer the vaccine including upgrading the defibrillator in the surgery and arranging an agency nurse for the practice to complete the inoculation of patients. I thank the relevant officials for their work on this important issue.
The people who contacted me over recent weeks have naturally felt left behind waiting for the vaccine to arrive with reports of others in the general locality getting their injections. These most vulnerable people can now look forward to the protection the vaccine gives and the hope in the coming weeks of getting back to some normality. The patients from Swanlinbar, Corlough, Glangevlin and Bawnboy areas will be relieved and delighted with this confirmation.
I know that my colleague Cllr. Sean Smith has also been in contact with the HSE on this matter and he too welcomes this news.
Over the past week to ten days, I have spoken to Brendan Smith TD on at least a daily basis on this matter. He has been in constant contact with the HSE and the Office of the Minister for Health to get this matter resolved. His work has been critical in getting this matter resolved.