Roll-out of the vaccine brings reunions with relatives a step nearer
ALL 3,485 employees and 1,609 residents in Cardiff older people’s care homes have now received the first dose of the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine, according to the city council.
Only three-quarters of older people in care homes across Wales have been vaccinated so far, according to Public Health Wales figures.
Owner of Lakeside House care home, Phillip Cliffe, said the vaccine has “given residents and their families a bit of hope”.
In April 2020, 20 residents at Lakeside House died of COVID-19 in two weeks.
“We don’t know how it got in, but we’ve kept it out since,” said Mr Cliffe.
Susan Elsmore, cabinet member for social care, health and well-being, said: “Ensuring the safety of all care home residents and staff has been a priority throughout Covid-19, and we have worked closely with Public Health Wales to make sure that residents receive their vaccinations as quickly and as safely as possible.”
According to Public Health Wales, 77.5% of care home residents and 82.1% of care home staff in Wales have received their first dose so far.
Fiona Kinghorn, executive director of public health at Cardiff and Vale University Health Board, said: “To have vaccinated all of our care home staff and residents so quickly since we started this programme on January 6 is testament to the hard work and meticulous planning from our teams.”
Cardiff Council has said care homes should receive the second dose of the vaccine within eight weeks of the first.
The nationwide vaccine roll-out has accelerated since it began on December 8, 2020.
In January, the Welsh Government were criticised for the roll-out of the vaccine as it was deemed too slow.
Wales has now vaccinated the highest percentage of the population out of all four UK nations.
More than 600,000 people in the top four priority groups have received the vaccine, this is 19.2% of the population.
The Welsh Government is on target to reaching its aim to vaccinate 750,000 people by mid-February.
NHS Wales are urging people who are in the top four priority groups who haven’t received an appointment to get in contact with their local health boards.
These groups include care home residents and staff, front-line health care and social workers, high risk individuals and everyone 70 or over.
Care homes across Cardiff have been finding creative ways to help residents and their families communicate until it is safe to meet in person.
At Cartref Care homes in Roath they have been having weekly video calls and attend the online “forget me not choir” sessions.
Lakeside House has built a visitor pod for one family member to safely visit a resident at the home.
