A trained Covid-19 nurse at Ninewells hospital has become the first person in Tayside to receive the coronavirus vaccine.
Linda Smyth, a staff nurse at the hospital, was given the vaccine by her colleague Marion McLaggan, as the role out of the long-awaited jabs began.
The trained Covid vaccinator was one of 41 staff members to receive the vaccine at Ninewells on Tuesday.
The first group to receive the jab were a number immunisers who will be giving the vaccination to others, – including frontline staff working in high risk areas.
Linda said it felt “absolutely brilliant” to be the first person in Tayside to get the vaccine.
“I’m delighted to have it,” she said.
“We’ve been looking forward to this for a long time and I hope it encourages more of my colleagues to come and have the vaccination soon.
“It’s a great day for us all.”
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Marion, who administered the jab, added: “It’s really exciting to be part of this.
“We’ve had really good support and training and we’re all raring to go.”
Due to the logistics of storing the solution, the first vaccination clinics are taking place at Ninewells, which is the vaccine holding centre for Tayside.
It will initially focus on frontline health and social care workers, including domestic staff, porters, nurses, allied health professionals and consultants.
Dr Emma Fletcher, director of public health at NHS Tayside, described the occasion as a “significant step” in the fight against Covid-19.
She said: “I’m so pleased to see the first vaccinations delivered in Tayside today.
“This has been the result of a huge amount of planning by teams across NHS Tayside and the Health and Social Care Partnerships.
“I am so thankful to everyone who has been working hard over the past few weeks to get us to this stage.
“The vaccine services team in Tayside took delivery of the vaccine yesterday and has been busy preparing doses for the first clinics taking place this week.”
Due to a limited number of doses available for the first few weeks and the fact that those being vaccinated need two jabs at least 21 days apart – half of the vaccines are being held back for the second doses.
Dr Fletcher said: “This means that we need to offer the jab to our frontline health and social care staff on a phased basis according to their risk.
“It is hoped that care home residents and staff will be offered the vaccine in their own care homes from December 14.
“It is not known yet whether having the vaccine stops you spreading the virus to others so it’s important that everyone continues to stick to the restrictions and follow the advice on physical distancing, hand washing, face coverings and self-isolation and testing.”
