Care worker is first person in Dorset to be given Covid vaccination

As reported, the NHS in Dorset is starting to vaccinate people against Covid-19 at Dorset County Hospital from this week at the start of the biggest immunisation programme in history.

Under a phased roll-out, people aged 80 and over as well as care home workers will be the first to receive the vaccine, along with NHS workers who are at higher risk.

Sam Impey, who works as a care team leader at Agincare’s Cheriton Care Home in Dorchester, was given the vaccination yesterday afternoon at DCH. She was joined by her Cheriton colleagues Zena Blumenstein, Eleanor Timlin and Colleen Cordell.

Miss Impey said: "I was at the front of the queue for the vaccine and the nurses told me I was the very first person in the county to be given it. We’re doing all we can to keep our residents safe at Cheriton, so I feel honoured to have been a vaccine trailblazer.

"Taking action like this means we can protect our residents, our families and ourselves. Once the vaccine has been rolled out to our residents we can start returning to normal, including those cherished visits from friends and family."

Tim Buckley, chief operating officer of Agincare care homes, said: "We feel privileged that members of the Agincare team were the first people to be given the Covid vaccination in Dorset. It feels exciting to be at the start of something so historic.

"We’re proud to be working with our health colleagues as we start to roll the vaccine out to our teams and then to residents in our nine care homes in Dorset, plus all of our homes across the country. The vaccine should give the public more confidence in the excellent care we give to our care home residents – we’re looking forward to a brighter 2021."