Walsall hospital patients get jab
Patients at Walsall Manor Hospital have received their first Covid jabs.
The Manor has been a vaccination hub since December 8 for people aged over 80 and healthcare workers.
But the hospital was able to administer vaccines to the first hospital patients on Wednesday, said the NHS trust which runs the facility.
Among those to receive the jab was 75-year-old, Ron Edis, a grandfather-of-four from Brownhills.
Mr Edis, who had been in hospital since Christmas day following an accident, said: "The youngest [grandchild] is one [years old] and I’ve only seen him once so it’s important to have the vaccine."
Raymond Keogh, 92, also received the vaccine. He said he is missing "home cooked food" having been in hospital for several weeks.
Caroline Whyte, interim deputy director of nursing at Walsall NHS trust, said: "The priority has been to run the hospital hub, the first one in the Black Country, but we have now been able to maximise opportunities to be able to immunise vulnerable patients.
"The vaccine has presented us with some logistical challenges because of its storage and transportation – we can’t just take it off to wards, it has to be used efficiently and quickly and the storage temperature is a huge factor.
"Today we have given the vaccines to patients in Ward 14 and those using our Integrated Assessment Hub and we will also be focusing on our discharge lounge over the coming days and weeks.
"Patients have been really pleased to have the vaccination.
"They just want to stay as safe and well as they can and protect themselves against the virus, particularly with the new variant being so prevalent."
