WEEKS of effort and organisation came to fruition yesterday as the BIC hosted its first Covid-19 vaccinations.
And in a somewhat fitting coincidence, the first non-healthcare worker to receive their jab was a retired NHS nurse.
Southbourne resident Valentyna Dubova, 83, was at the front of the queue for the afternoon session.
She was joined at the town centre venue by her son George who spoke on her behalf.
He told the Daily Echo: “My mother knew it was very important for her to come and get her jab today.
“Covid has caused a lot of problems for many people, so she knew she had to get vaccinated.
“We got a letter through the post inviting her to get the vaccine and we called the number.
“It has been very organised today and the staff are all very helpful.”
Having started vaccinations yesterday morning with healthcare staff, the capacity at the BIC will gradually ramp up over the next few weeks to ultimately deliver more than 9,000 jabs a week.
Residents, who have to pre-book their appointments after receiving an invitation from health services, will have their important second dose scheduled and receive a reminder card with all the details about the booster following their first jab.
Staff will be operating the centre 12 hours a day, seven days a week as the national effort to rollout the vaccine progresses.
The regional centre at the BIC has been configured so that it can provide any of the approved Covid vaccines.
At present, only the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine has been administered at the site.
Retired postman and Parcelforce manager Brian Keeling, 85 and of Wallisdown, also received his first jab yesterday.
“There have been absolutely no problems getting vaccinated,” said Mr Keeling.
“I felt a little prick when the needle went into my arm and that was it. It is great to have had the first jab.”
Poole resident Margaret Pini, 87, got her jab accompanied by her daughter Pia.
The retired antique jewellery dealer said: “I’m glad I have had it done. It has been lonely at times over the past year but we have carried on.”
The launch of Covid vaccinations at the BIC has been described as “one of the main highlights” of a nursing director’s 30 years in the industry.
Dawn Dawson, Dorset HealthCare’s director of nursing, therapies and quality, said it had been “phenomenal” to see the rollout begin in Purbeck Hall, which had become accustom to ice skating and conference events in years gone by.
She told the Daily Echo: “On Friday we had the first vaccines delivered and that made it suddenly very real and then this morning we are doing it.
“First off we came and got the vaccines out of the fridge to warm up, so that was a really special moment and then watching the very first person being vaccinated was so exciting.
“I have been nursing for more than 30 years and this must be one of the main highlights of my career.
“I am just feeling the buzz about the place and the happiness of the people we are vaccinating – it’s phenomenal.”
More than 2,000 thousand volunteers are supporting the work of 302 vaccinators and other NHS staff to keep the centre going.
Ms Dawson added: “It has been a really positive first day. We have got people who are happy, who are smiling. When you talk to the patients, many of them haven’t been out of their home for months, so they are delighted to be here and getting vaccinated.”
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