#MeetTheVaccinators: Bucks retiree finds purpose again
Susan is one of 80,000 people across the country helping to vaccinate the public
Last updated 21st Jun 2021
A Buckinghamshire retiree has been telling Greatest Hits Radio how she retrained to become a vaccinator.
Over the last seven months NHS staff, healthcare staff, fire and rescue and volunteers have seen over 600,000 vaccinations given in Buckinghamshire.
One of those is Susan Butler, a retiree who came back to help as a marshal at first.
Susan explains that she 'never really wanted to retire':
"I just felt like I should... I was getting on a bit and work wasn't giving me what I needed at the time so I thought I may as well.
"Then Covid happened and I couldn't really do anything in my retirement. I did find I missed the comradery of working with people and having that purpose.
"You know having a reason to get up in the morning... Although I did make sure I got up in the morning so I didn't fade into this doddery old woman."
She joined her friend Mary as a volunteer steward at the Stoke Mandeville Stadium GP vaccination centre.
From missing being part of a team to being part of a 80,000 strong vaccination group Susan decided to retrain and become a vaccinator.
Since then she has continued to bring humour to the centre, lots of cake and has even vaccinated Tom Felton, aka Draco Malfoy himself:
"Well we knew he was going to be coming in and I was asked if I would be the vaccinator.
"We planned a bit of a script where I would pretend I didn't know who he was and say something silly like was he a vaccinator.
"But, when I said I recognised him he said it might be because he had been for his first vaccination a few weeks before.
"Well, I wasnt sure what to do because it wasnt going how we thought! So I said again 'No its more than that are you famous? have you been on television?'
"He explained he had been in Harry Potter quite modestly and I jokingly asked if he had played Dobby.
"He found that quite funny but said 'No I was Draco Malfoy' and he was almost apologetic about it."
Susan's time vaccinating the public has come to an end, with her last shift at the GP clinic complete she isn't going back to life as a retiree though.
Instead, she is working at a local GP surgery a few mornings a week to continue the team spirit she missed.
The Stoke Mandeville Stadium Vaccination family may be started to go their separate ways again but they're set to reunite soon Susan told GHR:
"It was just so wonderful to be a part of it, in a way we never wanted it to end.
"We may see each other again for boosters shots if they are introduced for example but for now we've planned a party."