{"id":18805,"date":"2020-12-29T11:11:54","date_gmt":"2020-12-29T15:11:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/irishexaminerusa.com\/wp\/?p=18805"},"modified":"2020-12-30T10:13:59","modified_gmt":"2020-12-30T14:13:59","slug":"dublin-grandmother-becomes-first-to-be-vaccinated-in-the-republic-of-ireland","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/irishexaminerusa.com\/wp\/?p=18805","title":{"rendered":"Dublin Grandmother Becomes First To Be Vaccinated In The Republic"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Annie Lynch (79) has become the first person in the Republic of Ireland to receive a coronavirus vaccine (Marc O’Sullivan\/PA Wire)<\/figcaption><\/figure>A 79-year-old grandmother from Dublin has become the first person in the Republic of Ireland to receive a coronavirus vaccination.<\/p>\n

Annie Lynch received the vaccine at St James’s Hospital in Dublin.<\/p>\n

It was the first Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 jab to be administered at four hospitals across the country: St James’s and Beaumont Hospital in Dublin, Cork University Hospital and University Hospital Galway.<\/p>\n

Mrs Lynch said: “I feel very privileged to be the first person in Ireland to receive the vaccine.<\/p>\n

“Like everyone else I have been waiting for the vaccine and I really feel like there is a bit of hope there now. It’s brilliant that it’s here. Everything was explained very clearly to me beforehand.”<\/p>\n

Mrs Lynch, who lives in Drimnagh and was born in Christchurch, grew up in The Liberties.<\/p>\n

Her husband John died in September. She has three children and 10 grandchildren.<\/p>\n

She is a resident at the Mercer’s Institute for Successful Ageing at St James’s.<\/p>\n

Bernie Waterhouse, a clinical nurse manager on a Covid-19 ward at St James’s, was the first healthcare worker in the Republic to get the vaccine.<\/p>\n

She said: “I wanted to get the vaccine to protect myself, and the people I work with and care for every day, from Covid-19.”<\/p>\n

Around 10,000 doses of the vaccine arrived in Ireland on St Stephen’s Day.<\/p>\n

The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is the first to be approved for use in the Republic by the European Medicines Agency.<\/p>\n

Around 40,000 doses will arrive in the south every week throughout January and February.<\/p>\n

Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly said: “Today is a ray of light after what has been a trying year in our country.<\/p>\n

“It is testament to the work of the medical and scientific communities that we now have safe and effective vaccines to help to protect us against the devastating effects of Covid-19.<\/p>\n

“Our healthcare workers have worked day and night to care for their patients throughout this pandemic.<\/p>\n

“While vaccines will help us in the fight against this pandemic, Covid-19 is still a threat to health and to our health services, and we must do everything we can to slow its spread.”<\/p>\n

The rollout of the vaccine to nursing home residents and staff is expected to start next week.<\/p>\n

It will be administered across a three-week period in a full sweep followed by a second three-week program.<\/p>\n

Paul Reid, HSE chief executive, said: “This vaccine has the power to protect people from Covid-19, and reduce the illness and deaths caused by this terrible virus.<\/p>\n

“I am very proud to see the vaccinations commence today, safely, with thorough vaccinator training and patient-centered communications at its heart.<\/p>\n

“As we know, the vaccines will be delivered in stages – we’re starting in acute hospitals initially, and will move into long-term care facilities from next week, but this is a great start to an historic process.”<\/p>\n

Mary Day, chief executive at St James’s, said: “St James’s Hospital is very proud to be the first hospital to offer the vaccine to our patients and staff today.<\/p>\n

“All of our colleagues, our patients and their families have endured a difficult year as a result of Covid.<\/p>\n

“While we have more to do, the hope that today brings is really welcome, and I thank our vaccinators and all our staff whose hard work ensured we are up and running, protecting our team and our patients, from today.”<\/p>\n

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