Cork grandfather, 95, is first to receive Covid vaccine at Kerry home

In the coming week, teams will travel to more than 30 facilities to give vaccinations

John Cremin, from Knocknagree, Co Cork, a 95-year-old father and grandfather resident at Killarney Community Hospital, was the first community hospital resident to receive the Pfizer BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine in Kerry from Nurse Alan Horgan on Thursday morning. Picture: Don MacMonagle

A 95-year-old grandfather from Cork became the first person to receive a Covid-19 vaccination in Co Kerry on Thursday.

Killarney Community Hospital has began vaccinations for Covid-19 among its residents and staff as part of Cork-Kerry Community Healthcare's vaccination programme.

John Cremin, a 95-year-old father and grandfather resident at Killarney Community Hospital, was first in line for the vaccination.

John Cremin, 95, the first resident to receive his vaccine at Killarney Community Hospitals today, from peer vaccinator Alan Horgan. A day of hope and optimism! #holdfirm #ckch @ourhealthservice pic.twitter.com/0BCUQ3ii9m

— Cork Kerry Community Healthcare (@CorkKerryCH) January 7, 2021

Mr Cremin, originally from Knocknagree in Co Cork, is a father of four and has six grandchildren. He has been a resident at Killarney Community Hospital since 2013. Thanks to the vaccine, he says he can now look forward to a time when he can have visitors again.

We haven’t been able to have visitors for a while now. I’m not a bit worried about getting the vaccine, it’s good that it’s here. I’m very glad to be getting my vaccine today, it’s not something that happens every week,” 

he said.

Vaccinations will continue at Killarney Community Hospital from Thursday until Sunday.

The ambitious roll-out programme will see Cork Kerry Community Healthcare teams travel to more than 125 locations across Cork and Kerry to vaccinate residents and staff in private nursing homes and the voluntary sector.

Throughout the next week alone, teams are expected to travel to more than 30 public and private facilities in Cork (22) and Kerry (11), where more than 3,500 staff and residents will receive the vaccination.

Director of Nursing Máire Flynn was the first staff member at Killarney Community Hospital to receive the Pfizer BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine by Nurse Elaine Moran on Thursday morning. Picture: Don MacMonagle

Director of Nursing Máire Flynn was the first staff member at Killarney Community Hospital to be vaccinated.

I am delighted that we are receiving the vaccine and so happy for our residents and our staff. We are so grateful to everyone who has made this happen, and so happy to be a part of this. 

"Our residents are very excited and are thrilled to be getting something that gives us all new hope for 2021. The important thing about these vaccinations is that they will help us to keep our residents safe,” said Ms Flynn.

Everyone vaccinated on Thursday was given a HSE vaccine information leaflet, along with a more detailed manufacturer’s patient information leaflet, before getting the vaccine.

Afterwards, each person vaccinated was given a vaccine record card, showing the name and batch of the vaccine they had received.

They will each receive a second dose, to be fully protected, in three weeks.

Elaine Sheehan is assistant director of nursing at Killarney Community Hospital, and part of the team of vaccinators delivering the first vaccines on Thursday. She said she was delighted to be part of the team rolling out the vaccine and keeping residents safe.

“We’ve a busy few days ahead but it’ll all be worth it. It is just great to be at this point where we can begin to see some light at the end of the tunnel. People realised that we can’t continue to live like this. For staff, this is not just about ourselves, this is about protecting our residents,” said Ms Sheehan.

Some of the peer vaccinators at Killarney Community Hospitals. We are delighted that our Covid-19 vaccination programme started today. Residents and staff there will be offered the vaccine over the next three days. #holdfirm #ourhealthservice ⁦@HSELive⁩ pic.twitter.com/yrYeY7L1VA

— Cork Kerry Community Healthcare (@CorkKerryCH) January 7, 2021

It comes as Kerry has seen a dramatic rise in the number of Covid cases, 552 new cases in the last week.

Earlier, Health Minister Stephen Donnelly said Ireland would have 460,000 doses of Covid-19 vaccinations by the end of March.

This includes a combination of 350,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine and 110,000 doses of the Moderna vaccine, with hopes high that the AstraZeneca vaccine and a further vaccine from Johnson & Johnson could be approved soon too, boosting supplies further.