Northern Ireland care home becomes first in western world to vaccinate residents

The manager of a care home in Belfast that has become the first in the western world to see its residents vaccinated against Covid-19 has told ITV News he feels "proud" and "happy".

All residents and staff at the Palmerston Residential Home received a coronavirus jab on Tuesday, around 24 hours after staff were notified it was ready.

Manager Paul Johnston told ITV News he felt "very relieved" and said it had been "the best outcome for the residents" adding: "That was the most important thing today."

ITV News understands care home residents in Northern Ireland are being vaccinated after the country's Department of Health reached an agreement with the UK's vaccinations regulator the MHRA.

Elderly care homes had been top of the priority list to receive the vaccine, but this was revised due to issue storing and transporting the Pfizer jab which needs to be kept at -70C.

The UK government has pledged to begin vaccinations in care homes before the end of the year.

Speaking to ITV News, Mr Johnson said: "We are aware of how important and how fortunate we are to receive the vaccine".

A total of 60 people were vaccinated - including a 100-year-old resident.

The care home manager explained he had received a call from the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust on Monday evening "explaining that they had the vaccine ready to roll out."

Mr Johnston said it was "an easy decision to say yes" to the offer.

He added that the care group felt "very privileged" and praised the "tremendous effort" of all those involved to make the historic moment happen.

"A team of nurses, pharmacists, and a doctor from the hospital arrived at 10.30 this morning," Mr Johnston said.

"We had a nice clean room, they set up their equipment, they brought the vaccine in - it was a big moment. We then rolled it out to staff and onto residents afterwards.

"It was a long day, with a lot of TLC for staff and residents and reassurance. But a very good day".

Asked what the momentous moment means for residents - who are living with dementia - in the care home, Mr Johnston said it could be the start of life turning back "to some some of normality".

"Families need to be given the access to the vaccine so residents can then have that magical moment where they can hug their children - which is so important - and has been so missed throughout the pandemic."

It comes as the first vaccinations for over 80s took place in hospitals across the UK on Tuesday - with Margaret Keenan making history as the first to have the jab.