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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
National
Olly Buckley

'Depressed' gran, 93, 'terrified' to leave house as she's still not had Covid vaccine

Eileen Stevens, 93, sits on her bed, terrified to leave her house because she has still not been given a Covid-19 jab.

Eileen was not fit to be driven to a vaccination centre and health bosses have been unable get a jab to her.

The health managers had said they cannot bring the vaccine to her because of rules governing vaccine transportation.

Eileen, who lives with her son David, said: "I'm terrified at the moment. I worry every time my family come in the door.

"I'm depressed and have been having negative thoughts about the future. I feel really desperate.

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Eileen Stevens is living in a Covid terror (Mark Stevens / SWNS)

"What annoyed me was when I was watching TV - they were listing all these counties, Somerset, Devon, saying that they've done a great job with vaccines but it's not true."

David Stevens is a fulltime carer for his mum, who lives with him, his wife and two sons in their family home in Zeals, Wiltshire.

The 64-year-old said the whole household is stressed out and praying Eileen can be vaccinated as soon as possible.

"My wife works at Morrisons - she's so worried about bringing the virus home it only takes one person coming into the shop to pass it on," he said.

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David Stevens is a fulltime carer for his mum (Mark Stevens / SWNS)

And with David's 10-year-old son Ryan due to be returning to school next month, the clock is ticking for Eileen to be vaccinated.

"I was hoping to do it before Ryan went back to school because I've been told it takes 28 days to build my immunity," Eileen added.

"It's gone on for so long. I've isolated in my bedroom since March 11, I've done everything I'm supposed to do."

David has written to his MP for help and said: "Any day, any time could be a death sentence for my mum.

Eileen is living on edge (Mark Stevens / SWNS)

"I feel she has been abandoned. I feel she has been side-tracked and she feels now that she should be getting it as she's in a vulnerable age group."

NHS England said as of February 18, 93.4% of people aged 80 and over in England had received the first dose of a Covid-19 vaccine.

Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire Clinical Commissioning Group told the BBC: "Due to the strict government-enforced regulations around the movement of the vaccine, a very small number of housebound patients have yet to be vaccinated.

"We fully acknowledge the anxiety this delay will be causing to our more-vulnerable residents, and are deeply sorry."

The family say they have received a call from doctors to say they're hopefully sending someone Friday.

But David says the family "aren't holding their breath".

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