FRONTLINE NHS health workers lined up at the Kassam Stadium to receive their Covid-19 jabs as work began today at the large-scale vaccination centre.
Trainee clinical psychologist Madeleine Irish, took her seat in Pod One, rolled up her sleeve and received the first shot of the vaccine to be administered at the centre at just after 9am.
The 26-year-old treats older adults under the care of Oxford Health’s community mental health team and users of Oxfordshire’s talking therapies service TalkingSpace Plus.
Ms Irish said: “It is the start of things getting back to normal.
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"I feel so privileged to be the first to get the vaccine here today.
"It means I will soon be able to have more face-to-face time with patients and that will make a big difference to me and them."
Giving the vaccine was registered mental health nurse Mandy Taylor, who was specially recruited to support the vaccination roll out.
Before preparing for the next patient, she said: "I feel really honoured to be the first person to give the Oxford jab at this Oxford centre to an Oxford health worker.
"I have been a nurse for 39 years and it is a moment I will never forget."
Rehabilitation assistant Emma-Louise Johnstone, who works out of Bicester Community Hospital, was the second recipient of the vaccine.
For the 27-year-old mum of twins getting the vaccine has not come a moment too soon.
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She said: "It is marvellous because my work brings me in close contact with older patients who rely on me to support them and assess their needs through their recovery journey.
"I know so many of them in the community have had their vaccinations already.
"Now I have had mine it will be a great reassurance for them and a comfort for me too."
After her jab, the Oxford Health team ensured Ms Johnstone received a post inoculation leaflet and a sticker, and was booked in for her follow-up jab on April 19.
The Kassam Stadium is one of 32 new NHS vaccine centres that began delivering life-saving Covid-19 jabs yesterday as the health service continues to accelerate the biggest immunisation programme in its history.
This is the first mass centre that Oxford Health has set up as lead provider for vaccination centres for the NHS in Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Berkshire West.
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Priority frontline patient-facing staff, who work on community and mental health wards as well as in the community like district nurses, are at the head of the queues this week.
A spokesperson for the trust confirmed that hundreds of staff are already booked in.
Members of the public aged 75 and over have also been offered appointments at the centre from Monday, February 1, via a national booking system.
They are being contacted by letter and by phone to make an appointment for their first dose of the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine.
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