We’re pleased to share that the residents and team at Great Oaks have had the Oxford AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine as the rollout begins across our care homes.
Covid-19 vaccine rollout
Earlier this month, we welcomed the Talbot Medical Centre staff to administer the first dose of the vaccines to around 160 residents and members of the team at Great Oaks to help provide increased protection against the virus. Each person who received the vaccine was then given a card with the date for the second dose.
Mike Lyons, Managing Director, said: “This is a very positive step for our residents and the team as the process of rolling out the vaccine across our care homes begins. We have been eagerly awaiting this event since the first lockdown last year, so it is a great relief and an uplifting moment to see the vaccination process being delivered to both our employees and residents. We look forward to the rest of our care homes receiving this vital protection against the virus as the local GP surgeries make arrangements to visit us.”
Vaccines will be offered to residents and staff at Fairmile Grange in Christchurch, Oakdale in Poole, and Hamble Heights in Fareham, as supplies of the Oxford AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine become available at the homes’ respective local NHS GP surgeries. Some of the team had previously received the jab after travelling to the regional COVID-19 vaccination centres.
Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, announced at the start of January that all care home residents across the UK would be offered a Covid-19 vaccine by the end of the month, with all care home staff set to be vaccinated by mid-February. At the time, Boris Johnson said: ‘It’s thanks to the arrival of the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine which can be stored at room temperature that we can accelerate the pace of vaccination in care homes.’
Optimism amongst residents and staff
Speaking after having the vaccine, Sarah Diffey, electronic care planning manager, said: “We have been waiting a long time for this. It was really good to get it done. It has been an anxious few months in the care home environment. It’s good to know that after the second dose, we will have up to 95% protection against COVID-19.”
Great Oaks resident, Noel Morris, 85, said: “I’d like to put my hand on the shoulder of anyone unsure about having the vaccine and say that it’s worthwhile and painless. It didn’t take me long to realise the value of this vaccine. I sincerely hope that it helps us. In the future, I hope life goes back to normal so that people can go wherever they want, when they want.”
Weekly Covid-19 Tests
As well as weekly Covid-19 tests for residents and staff, Encore Care Homes has also introduced Lateral Flow testing for the team, which provides results within 30 minutes. The aim is to identify any team members who may be asymptomatic to reduce the transmission of the virus.
