Hospital staff working on the frontline treating coronavirus say receiving the vaccine is the best thing to happen in 2020.

The first vaccinations at Medway Maritime Hospital were issued yesterday as the hospital marked a "special day".

Vulnerable patients and staff at high risk of catching the virus are the first to receive the Pfizer vaccine – the first and so far only approved jab to be rolled out to the public in the fight against Covid-19.

Doctors at the Gillingham hospital – one of the most under pressure in the country – receiving their jab this week spoke of their excitement at receiving the vaccine.

Graeme Sanders, consultant in anaesthetics and critical care, said: "I’m excited and relieved. I’m a person at high risk, who works with Covid patients, so this gives me a sense of security.

"From the point of view of the country as a whole and in Kent, it’s all about getting immunity up and we can get back to normal in a few months’ time.

"I think we’re in exceptional times. The research into the virus and the approval by the medicines authorities as it would be normally.

"I’m convinced these vaccines are safe, not just for Pfizer but also the Oxford one that’s coming shortly.

"The right thing for the community is to get the jab."

Saadia Shah, speciality doctor in obstetrics and gynaecology, said: "I’m very excited. I have been waiting, and this is the best thing I think to happen in 2020!

"I would encourage everyone to go for this vaccine.

"There has been a lot of hard work and sleepless nights by our research scientists so that we can get our lives back to normality.

"Also, even if you get Covid, the vaccine reduces the severity, the morbidity and mortality of the infection."

"It’s all about getting immunity up and we can get back to normal in a few months’ time..."

James Devine, chief executive at Medway NHS Foundation Trust said: "This is an important local step in the national fight against the virus, and we are privileged to be a part of it.

"Over the coming weeks we will be vaccinating our staff, patients and local care home workers to help protect them and our communities from the virus.

"If you are contacted by the Trust, or another vaccination provider, to get the jab, please do so.

"You can do your bit to protect yourself and those around you, and help Medway and the UK recover from the pandemic.”

An unexplained delay had resulted in the Gillingham hospital not rolling out its vaccine programme as early as anticipated.

NHS England initially told Medway NHS Trust to be ready as one of 53 hubs to carry out the vaccine.

But in an updated list issued earlier this month, it was cut to 50 with Medway dropped and the Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust – which runs Darent Valley Hospital – also omitted and still waiting.

Medway was confirmed alongside 10 others last week by NHS England, which has not answered KentOnline's request for an explanation behind the delay.

Details of how many doses have been made available in Medway have not been revealed.

Due to the very specific conditions it has to be stored in – at temperatures of -70C – only sites like hospitals, universities and research labs have the specialist equipment to do so.

The Pfizer/BioNTech version cannot yet be distributed in smaller batches than the 975-dose boxes they leave the company's lab in Belgium in.

They are transported in specialist dry-ice packs in lorries and delivered to sites with deep freeze stores where it can be kept for up to six months.

"If you are contacted by the Trust, or another vaccination provider, to get the jab, please do so..."

The vaccine can survive on the road for 10 days so long as it remains unopened en route to vaccination centres such as GP surgeries, where it can then be stored in normal fridges for up to five days.

The Long Catlis Road Surgery in Rainham was among the first nine GP surgeries to receive one box of the virus this week and vaccines started there on Wednesday.

Another eight, including the Woodlands Family Practice in Gillingham and Meopham Surgery, have been added by the Kent and Medway Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG).

The "second wave" of primary care networks brings the total now to 17.

The CCG says more will be added in the New Year as increasing supplies are made available. Each site is understood to have received an initial 975 doses.

The government is receiving 800,000 doses in the first shipment from Pfizer but has already ordered 40 million doses – enough for 20 million people.

Patients will be contacted by the NHS according to the national priority list and health leaders have urged people to wait to be contacted instead of blocking phone lines by calling their GP.

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