South Yorkshire GPs start rolling out Covid-19 vaccine
A number of sites have been set up across the county
Last updated 15th Dec 2020
The first people in Barnsley, Rotherham and Doncaster have been vaccinated against Covid-19 as GP surgeries across South Yorkshire start to rollout the jab.
Over 80s with underlying health conditions are first on the list and have been invited to a number of vaccination sites set up across the county.
85 year old great grandmother Ann Dougan was the first person to get a vaccine in Doncaster.
She told us she's happy the new freedoms the vaccine will grant her:
"It means I can mix with my family again. I've got some granddaughters and a new great granddaughter who waves at me through the window.
"She's only 8 months old so it would be lovely to get down on the floor and play with her.
"It'll be nice to mix again and talk to people."
In Doncaster two groups of GPs practices are calling patients to come in for the vaccination, with more to follow in the coming days and weeks.
81 year old Jeanette Adams was second in line:
"I don't think anybody should be frightened of coming and having it. We're rooting for everybody aren't we? Not just ourselves.
"It's such a big day. I didn't realise that Doncaster had got the vaccine and when I got the call to say I was going to be one of the first, I just thought wow!"
83 year old Herbert Barker, who's a retired haulage contractor, was the first patient in Barnsley to get the jab.
He said:
“Well I think it’s been something the whole world has been trying to get a vaccine for. Now it’s here, why not take it? I’m most looking forward to just getting rid of the virus.”
Clare Bannon's a GP in Barnsley - she says people shouldn't be ringing their surgeries if they think they're eligible:
"Because of the difficulties in storing the vaccine, we'll initially be using one site which will be for all patients across Barnsley.
"We're asking that patients should wait to be contacted and we'll be working as GPs through lists of patients in the eligible groups. It'll take several weeks to get through everybody and we'll be limited by how many of the vaccines we've got."
The start of the community rollout comes after hospitals in Sheffield started giving out the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine last week.
Clare says it's been a challenge getting it all set up:
"It's been difficult logistically but practices have been enthusiastic to help in any way possible. Practices will be contacting their own patients, initially by text to opt in or they might just be called directly.
"We're quite hopeful the vaccine's going to change things for everybody and help us come out of this pandemic. But it'll be well into 2021 before the vaccines are fully rolled out and it's still quite unclear whether they're going to work long term."