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First Patient In South Yorkshire To Receive The Covid-19 Vaccine Says It Was ‘Like Winning The Pools.’

Sheffield Teaching Hospitals one of the first NHS Trusts in the country, and among the first in the world, to begin providing the UK’s first approved Covid-19 vaccine to patients

Covid19 first vaccine vial

Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is proud to have become one of the first NHS Trusts in the country, and among the first hospitals in the world, to begin providing the Covid-19 vaccine to some of the UK’s most vulnerable patients as part of the NHS mass vaccination programme which started today (Tuesday 8 December).

One of the first patients to receive the vaccine said it felt like “winning the pools”.

Anthony Moore, 82, of Sheffield, said:
“I think it is great I have been given the chance to have the vaccine. It feels like winning the pools to me, it’s fantastic that the vaccine programme is starting so quickly and I feel very lucky. Having the vaccine was no problem at all, everyone at the hospital was amazing and I would encourage everyone to have the vaccine when it is their turn over the next few weeks and months as it rolls out.”

Anthony has not been able to go out during the pandemic due to ill health, and has missed seeing his great grandsons.

Trixie Walker

Anthony Moore

Another patient to have the vaccine was Trixie Walker, 83, a former school laboratory technician who lives in Sheffield. She said:
“The opportunity to receive the vaccine is amazing. I feel very fortunate, and I am so very grateful. We have not seen our grandchildren for almost a year which has been so hard but now that people are starting to get the vaccine, we are one step closer to being able to see them again hopefully by Spring next year. We will still keep following all the guidelines even though I have had the vaccine to make sure we keep everyone safe.”

The landmark moment comes in the same week Sheffield Teaching Hospitals is set to provide care for its 3,000th patient with Covid-19. Sheffield Teaching Hospitals was one of the first NHS Trusts in the UK to begin caring for patients with coronavirus back in February. Since then, the Trust has remained at the forefront of innovation and care, working alongside other NHS Trusts across the country to run major clinical trials assessing the effectiveness of different COVID-19 treatments and potential vaccines.

Kirsten Major, Chief Executive for Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said:
“This week we will highly likely provide care for our 3,000th coronavirus patient. It is therefore fitting that having played a significant part in Covid-19 in Sheffield, we have had the privilege of being among the first in the world to give an approved Covid-19 vaccine to some of our most vulnerable patients today.

"This is a moment in history and there has been a real sense of optimism and excitement here today as we started to vaccinate the first patients. Over the coming weeks and months the vaccine will be offered either through hospitals like ours, GPs or community vaccination centres.

"We would ask people to bear with us and wait until they are called for their vaccine, rather than calling us or their GP. It is also crucial that we all continue to stay vigilant and follow the hands, face and space guidelines in the coming weeks and months until the majority of people are vaccinated We are incredibly proud of all our staff and those in the wider NHS, who have been outstanding throughout the pandemic, and yet again have stepped up to the challenge of this world first vaccination programme.”

Initially Sheffield Teaching Hospitals are vaccinating patients aged 80 and over who are already attending hospital as an outpatient and any appointments not filled will be used for healthcare workers who are at highest risk of serious illness from Covid-19.

For further information visit https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/coronavirus-vaccination/coronavirus-vaccine/.