‘Sense of duty’ as senior nurse first to be given Covid-19 vaccine in Fife

A senior nurse has become the first person in Fife to be vaccinated against Covid-19.

Marie Paterson was given the jab earlier today by colleague Candice Ross at the Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy.

Both nurses are due to play an important role in the rollout of the Covid-19 vaccination programme in Fife.

NHS Fife took delivery of the first batch of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines earlier this week after it was approved by the MHRA.

The vaccine must be stored between -80°C to -60°C and requires to be thawed prior to being administered.

Those vaccinated against Covid-19 receive two doses of the vaccine given around three to four weeks apart.

Healthcare workers involved in delivering the Covid-19 vaccine in Fife will be among the first to be vaccinated, along with those involved in directly caring for patients with the virus.

After receiving the vaccine, Marie said: “I was delighted to be given the opportunity to be the first person in Fife vaccinated against Covid-19.

“I feel a real sense of duty to be vaccinated and I think it’s really important that we, as healthcare staff, do all we can to protect the most vulnerable in our society.”

It comes as a Ninewells Hospital nurse became the first person in Tayside to receive the vaccine.