87-year-old among first to to receive Covid-19 jab in Sussex

Teresa Shakeer, who lives in Danny Sheldon retirement accommodation in Eastern Road, said receiving the vaccination was “wonderful.”

She was given the injection at the vaccination clinic in the Barry Building at the Royal Sussex County Hospital on Tuesday afternoon.

Ms Shakeer said she hopes the vaccine will allow her to feel safe when venturing outside.

She said: “I’ve had to stay in more.

“I used to like to go out every day but if they tell you to stay in, you have to stay in if it’s going to help.

“I still have to wear a mask but I can go out occasionally.”

Louis Macpherson receiving the Covid-19 vaccination at the Royal Sussex County Hospital.

Ms Shakeer praised the NHS staff at the hospital for the "amazing" care she had received both before and after her vaccination.

She said: “They are all marvellous in here, all the staff and the doctors.

“Absolutely marvellous of them to give up their own time.”

Outpatients and inpatients aged 80 and above are being given the first of two necessary doses, with the second dose set to be given in 21 days’ time, a Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals (BSUH) NHS Trust spokesman said.

The programme aims to protect the most vulnerable and return life to normal.

The trust is contacting more patients to book their vaccination, with some health and care staff also set to receive the jab.

Louisa Macpherson, outpatients reception team leader at the Royal Sussex County Hospital and the Princess Royal Hospital in Haywards Health, was also vaccinated yesterday.

The 32-year-old, who is considered vulnerable to coronavirus due to being diabetic and asthmatic, said she felt “honoured” to have the injection.

Louise told The Argus: “Hopefully we will all be safer and it will mean we can get on with our lives and get back to normality.

“If you are offered it just got for it.

“They haven’t had as many reported side effects as a lot of the other vaccines we have.

“It isn’t a live vaccine so just go and get it done.”

A second vaccination clinic has been set up in Abbey Road, Brighton.

At 1pm on Tuesday there was a queue of people waiting outside the centre for their appointment.

At one point, a man arrived carrying a cool box marked “Porter 1” which is believed to have contained the vaccine.

Louise Skelt, lead nurse for critical care and major trauma at the Royal Sussex County Hospital, was vaccinated at the Abbey Road clinic.

Ms Skelt said that working in critical care had allowed her to see first-hand the devastating impact coronavirus can have.

The Covid-19 vaccination being administer at the Royal Sussex County Hopsital.

She said: “I think it’s a really good thing and we can start getting our lives back.

“It’s fantastic that we’d have this opportunity in Brighton.

“The vaccination is the only way we can get out of this.

“When people are offered they should definitely get out there and have it.”

Bidge Garton, who has been a volunteer with BSUH for more than 35 years, received her vaccine yesterday.

In 2018, she was given an award for her incredible service over the years, including supporting the trust through the likes of Brighton bombing at The Grand hotel and the Fatboy Slim Concert on Brighton Beach.

Following her appointment at the vaccination clinic, a BSUH spokesman said: “One of the very first in our vaccination clinic was Bidge Garton, a volunteer at the Trust for over 35 years.

“We’re proud to be able to administer the vaccine to Bidge today and many more patients over the coming days and weeks.”

The UK is the first country in the world to start using the Pfizer vaccine after regulators approved its use last week.

Almost 800,000 doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine will be dispensed across the UK in the coming weeks.

Up to four million more are expected by the end of the month.

The Brighton Centre will be used as “one of the larger” vaccination centres, with up to 3,000 people a day, seven days a week, expected to be treated.

A meeting of the policy and resources committee confirmed the site would be used until at least March next year.

GPs and other primary care staff are also being put on standby to start delivering the vaccine.