Vaccines offered to all eligible Sussex care home residents

All residents living in Sussex care homes who were safe to receive the Covid-19 vaccine have received their first jabs, the Sussex NHS Commission has confirmed.
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A small number of homes in Sussex have had their visits deferred for safety reasons following a risk assessment due to local outbreaks of the virus.

These homes – as well as any other residents or staff that were unwell or unable to have a vaccine at the vaccination team’s initial visit – will be visited as soon as possible, the commission said.

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People aged over 65 years old in care homes and those who look after them were identified as the top priority group for the Covid-19 vaccine by the Joint Committee on Vaccinations and Immunisations, due to their high risk from coronavirus.

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Covid-19 vaccines

Sussex NHS Commissioners Chief Nursing Officer, Allison Cannon, said: “By vaccinating thousands of older people across hundreds of care homes in Sussex we have given them not only some protection against the virus, but also a sense of hope.

“In Sussex we have one of the highest numbers of nursing and care homes per capita across the country and so this work is a significant undertaking. I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to our vaccination teams for their ceaseless work around the clock to get this vital protection to our older people.

“We continue to vaccinate thousands of care staff every day. They have worked tirelessly to look after our most vulnerable people through some very difficult months and I want to take this opportunity to thank them for their dedication and commitment. I would urge anyone in these roles to take the vaccine if you are offered it. Those working in care homes are at much higher risk of repeated exposure to the infection. Catching Covid-19 can be serious and may lead to long term complications, but you can also have the virus without any symptoms and pass it on to family, friends and residents, many of whom may be at increased risk.”

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Vaccination teams have continued to roll out the protection to other priority groups – to meet the target of vaccinating all care home residents, people aged over 70, and frontline health and care workers in Sussex by February 15, 2021.