A 91-year-old Dumbarton man has told how he is looking forward to being able to hold his wife’s hand again after being among the first to be vaccinated in the latest phase of the rollout.
Great-grandad Bill Campbell received the jag last week at the Concord Centre in Dumbarton as NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde began vaccinating over 80s in the area against Covid-19.
Residents braved the winter conditions to get their vaccinations with an almost 100 percent turnout on Wednesday.
Bill told the Lennox Herald he was delighted to be among the first as it brought him a step closer to being able to visit his beloved wife Agnes, who stays in a care home in Bearsden.
The couple have been married for almost 70 years and Bill, of Bonhill Road, said he is looking forward to the day he can see her without a screen separating them.
He said: “I used to go and see her a few times a week but have been unable to with all the restrictions which has been really hard.
“I have managed to see her in the car park area of the care home and we were sat with a screen between us.
“I haven’t been able to hold her hand since March last year and haven’t seen her since the latest lockdown. It’s very sad and I miss her very much.
“It’s her birthday next week and I’m going to deliver flowers and presents but I won’t be able to have any contact with her.
“Getting the vaccination brings me closer to being able to see her again.
“She’s had the first vaccination too and hopefully we’ll both receive the second one soon.”
Speaking about receiving the vaccine, he added: “It was very good. I thought they were very well organised.
“The actual vaccination was nothing.
“I hardly felt the needle and haven’t had any side effects.”
Vaccinations have now started for people over the age of 80 after consenting eligible residents in care homes across West Dunbartonshire all received their first jag.
Last week, West Dunbartonshire Council chief executive Joyce White also confirmed 1500 health and social care staff across the area had received their first jab.
They are being administered in venues across the area, including at the Concord Centre in Dumbarton and Alexandria Community Centre.
West Dunbartonshire Leisure Trust has also offered use of the Denny Civic Theatre.
Dr Stephen Dunn’s Dumbarton Health Centre-based practice was one of five GP practices administering the Oxford Astra-Zeneca vaccination to their 80 years-plus patients at the Concord Community Centre.
He said he felt emotional thinking about what it had taken to reach this stage.
He also urged those who hadn’t yet received their invitation to be patient, assuring no time will be wasted.
Dr Dunn commented: “It was an exhilarating morning to see such a good turnout of our elderly patients, who braved the rain and ice to get their vaccination.
“There was a real sense of seeing light at the end of the tunnel having been through what we have all suffered over the last year.
“Now we feel as though we are reaching a point where there’s a future we can look forward to when we can see our elderly relatives, friends and family again.
“I feel emotional when I think about the collective effort that it has taken to get here – the whole world has come together to produce these vaccines so quickly to combat a virus that has touched everyone’s life in some way.
“It has been a tough time for patients particularly but also for the staff in our practices who have worked really hard on the front line, as have our colleagues in hospitals.
“So this was a positive day and it was pleasing to see the turnout was nearly 100 percent. We contacted our patients ahead of time by phone to invite them in and almost to a man and woman they have come in and taken their place in the queue.
“The process has run really smoothly, we’ve had GPs and practice nurses enthusiastically working together to assist in the vaccinations, and we’ll do it all again as soon as we get more in.
“All I’d say is be patient just now, we won’t waste any time in getting these vaccinations out to you all and making sure that everyone gets their turn to be vaccinated.”
Dr Linda De Caestecker, director for public health at NHSGGC said: “We have had a very high uptake of the vaccine so far. Our teams are working extremely hard to get as many people possible vaccinated as quickly as possible during this time.
“However, the rollout does not mean we can let our guard down. Our hospitals are extremely busy with Covid-19 admissions and our staff are working tirelessly to look after both Covid and non-Covid patients.”
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