Published on Thursday 24 December 2020
Residents of Sunrise of Westbourne will receive an early Christmas present as they become some of the first people in the country to be offered their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccination in a care home setting.
Shore Medical will be attending the home on Christmas Eve, delivering around 150 doses of the vaccine to the patients and staff along with high risk staff from other local sites.
Local GP and Clinical Director of Shore Medical Dr Andy Rutland said "Shore Medical is delighted to be the first Practice in Dorset to be providing the vaccine to residents and staff in a Care Home. We have worked with Sunrise this week to ensure that patients, relatives and staff all know what to expect. On the day we will have 3 teams of clinicians delivering the vaccinations, with administrative support.
We are aware of the intense interest in the vaccination process and people want to know when they will get theirs. We are still in the very early stages of the programme, so we are asking people to please be patient and not to call their GP practice or hospital – when the time is right you will be contacted.
"I’d like to thank all the staff at Shore Medical for their massive efforts in organising this."
Councillor Karen Rampton, Portfolio holder for Adults, BCP Council said "We are pleased that residents and staff at Sunrise will be some of the first people in care home settings to receive the COVID-19 vaccination. This marks the start of the roll out of the vaccination across care settings and is crucial in helping to protect the most vulnerable residents across Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole along with their care workers who have been working so hard during the pandemic to help keep their residents safe."
Whilst vaccinations have started being delivered in Dorset in line with the national programme, it is important that people follow all of the public health measures to protect their loved ones and the wider community. Please self-isolate with your household and book a test if you notice any symptoms of COVID-19, maintain a safe distance from others, wear a face covering where required and wash your hands frequently.
We will share more updates as information becomes available.
Further information on the vaccine is available via the national NHS website.