88 year-old great-grandfather becomes first Wakefield person to get Covid vaccine

An 88 year-old great-grandfather has become the first person in Wakefield to receive the Covid vaccine.
Mr Hopwood said he had "no idea" he was the first person locally to receive the vaccine.Mr Hopwood said he had "no idea" he was the first person locally to receive the vaccine.
Mr Hopwood said he had "no idea" he was the first person locally to receive the vaccine.

Retired miner George Hopwood was given the Pfizer/BionTech jab at a clinic in South Kirkby on Tuesday morning.

The elderly, care home residents and staff are being priority access to the vaccine, which was first administered in Coventry last week.

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Mr Hopwood, who has three great-grandchildren and lives in South Kirkby himself, said he'd had "no idea" he was the first person in the district to be immunised until this morning.

The jab was administered on Tuesday.The jab was administered on Tuesday.
The jab was administered on Tuesday.

"The doctor rang me and asked if I wanted the vaccine and I said “oh, yes please”," he said.

"The last few months have been hard but you’ve got to get through it haven’t you, you can’t let it get you down. I just can’t wait for things to get back to normal now."

NHS frontline worker Lesley Bastow administered the jab to Mr Hopwood.

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She said: "I’ve been a nurse for 34 years, but this is certainly the most memorable day of my career.

Nurse of 34 years, Lesley Bastow, gave George the jab.Nurse of 34 years, Lesley Bastow, gave George the jab.
Nurse of 34 years, Lesley Bastow, gave George the jab.

"I feel so proud to have played a role in helping to protect our most vulnerable patients against coronavirus”.

The NHS will contact individuals when it's their to turn to receive the jab.

The initial batch of vaccines are being delivered by GPs, practice nurses and community pharmacists.

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As further supplies arrive in the coming weeks, more surgeries are likely to become involved in the rollout, alongside Pinderfields Hospital and other pop-up vaccination sites.

Jo Webster, chief officer of Wakefield's NHS Clinical Commissioning Group, described Tuesday as a "historical day" for Wakefield.

"It’s been an incredibly challenging year for all of us, but today is a turning point in our fight against Covid-19 and we know that there is light at the end of the tunnel," she said.

"We know lots of people will be eager to get protected but we are asking people not to contact the NHS to seek a vaccine - we will be in touch when it’s time for you to come forward.

"When we do contact you, please attend your booked appointments, and please continue to follow all the guidance to control the spread of the virus and save lives."

Local Democracy Reporting Service