'It just feels wonderful' - 84-year-old nurse gets one of the first covid vaccine jabs in Northumberland

Retired nurse Jean Jones, from Sheepwash, was given her jab at the Valens Medical Partnership’s Lintonville surgery today, Tuesday, December 15, as it begins to be rolled out at community clinics across the UK.

The 84-year-old, who worked at Ashington General Hospital and in cardiology and theatre during her time in the role, hopes it will be her first step towards returning to her busy life, including spending time with the six close friends she has had since they were four-years-old.

"It’s just wonderful, this means I’m a bit closer to normality again,” said widow Jean, who is looking forward to getting back to her hobbies, including a Knit and Natter sessions, events with her church and other community groups.

Dr Aamir Munir is overseeing the team as it works to deliver 975 vaccines in the next three-and-a-half days, before taking delivery of the second batch of doses next week for the second group of patients – a process the practice is adept at doing thanks to its busy flu vaccination programme.

He said: “It is a really special day, that it has come to this point where we can now start to deliver this massive vaccination programme for our patients.

"The team has come together and worked really hard and have been in during the weekend just to make sure we got the patients in for their vaccination.

"The feedback we have got from the patients has been quite emotional.

"It’s exciting and the network across Northumberland already works closely together, so that this vaccination programme will work well.

"Patients should know this vaccination is safe and we encourage them to come in and get it when they are invited.

"This will be over months, not days or weeks, so we would ask people to still follow the rules, even if they have had the vaccine, and remember ‘Hands, Face, Space’ and keep to social distancing.”

The surgery is a member of the Valens Primary Care Network, which is one of six which operates across the county, bringing together 40 practices in total as they work to offer patients care.

The dramatic events of 2020 are having a major impact on many of our local valued advertisers and consequently the advertising that we receive.

We are now more reliant than ever on you helping us to provide you with news by buying a copy of our newspaper.

If you can, please do pick up a copy when you are at the shops.

Thank you for your support.