More than 8,000 health and social care staff have received their first dose of the COVID vaccine on the Isle of Wight, resulting in the St Mary’s Hospital vaccine hub being stood down.
In one of the biggest vaccine programmes ever rolled out, the vaccine hub at St Mary’s Hospital, in Newport, has been playing its part to vaccinate frontline workers against the deadly virus.
In less than a month since the hub opened, on 7th January, 8,155 NHS and social care staff have been vaccinated.
Whilst teams await the second dose of the vaccine the hub has been stood down. It will re-open to administer the second doses of the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine to staff in April.
In an update going to the Isle of Wight NHS Trust’s board meeting later this week (Thursday), chief executive Maggie Oldham said they have received excellent feedback from staff and sent her thanks to all those working in the vaccine hub for all their hard work.
Staff had to book appointments to be able to receive their vaccine, however booking information was shared more widely than was appropriate, meaning some people tried to book vaccine appointments who were not on the government’s priority list.
The Isle of Wight NHS Trust said it took immediate steps to rectify the situation and apologised for any confusion caused.
As first reported by Island Echo on Monday, it is estimated around 30,000 Islanders have now been vaccinated.
Unless there is a supply issue surly keeping it opening and getting more people vaccinated would be better?
Don’t be silly Richard that would require people to use their common sense and would result in people getting the vaccine quicker! We don’t do that here we do it the slow way hence taking longer to get things open again !
Those who can, do, those who can’t, criticise!
theres other sites around the Island vaccinating the general public. St Marys have only been doing NHS staff for the obvious reason they dont want lots of people in and out of the hospital, even if they are getting vaccinated.
The riverside centre is vaccinating just down the road for the general public, go there instead
st marys did other key workers also – ferry staff and bus staff were there a while ago.