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"Vaccination clinic for CEV patients"

About: The Ulster Hospital / Vaccination Centre

(as a parent/guardian),

I took my young daughter to be vaccinated recently. She is amongst some of the first to be eligible for Covid vaccination due to disabilities and vulnerabilities to infection. The staff were very pleasant and kind with my daughter but what I can't understand is why none of them were wearing masks and we were in a room with next to zero ventilation when Covid has been found to spread through airborne transmission. I know staff were probably following the current hospital guidance but our public health guidance advises taking extra precautions around those most vulnerable ie. in that clinic, the majority of people.

I cannot understand how, to protect my daughter from the effects of Covid, I had to put her at risk of being in close contact with unmasked staff to access the very vaccine required to protect her. Although she wears a respirator mask which affords her some protection, two-way masking has been found to be more effective. Opening a window and running a HEPA filter as well would add layers of mitigations and more protection. If staff are not routinely testing (as I understand they are no longer required to) the very least that could be done is apply mitigations for the sake of vulnerable patients and, in fact, the staff themselves. 

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Responses

Response from Conor Campbell, Senior Manager, Assurance and Improvement, South Eastern Health & Social Care Trust nearly 2 years ago
Conor Campbell
Senior Manager, Assurance and Improvement,
South Eastern Health & Social Care Trust

Assurance and improvement

Submitted on 06/10/2023 at 16:39
Published on Care Opinion at 16:39


picture of Conor Campbell

Dear Mum to a vulnerable child

Thank you for sharing the story of your daughter’s experience when attending for Covid vaccination.

Our vaccination service lead has responded to your story.

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Dear Mum to a vulnerable child

It is great to know that you felt that our team treated your daughter well.

You raise points regarding:

- no staff wearing masks when looking after your daughter – a vulnerable child

- optimising the environment to reduce risk of transmission of infection

- current guidance for staff

- risk of being in close contact with unmasked staff

- current practice re: staff testing themselves for Covid

Currently, the Trust's policy does not require staff to wear fluid shield masks. There, of course, are measures that we have put in place, such as using an open bay for our vaccination clinic, minimal waiting times and no overcrowding.

Staff are also not required to routinely test for Covid but are strongly advised not to attend work if feeling unwell. However, following your feedback we have now positioned signage at these clinics indicating that any person attending for vaccination who wishes staff to use a fluid shield mask should make their preference known to us and we will happily accommodate same.

Thank you very much for raising these points. We welcome all feedback in order to review and continually improve the service that we provide.

Best wishes

Kate McGarrigle

Lead Nurse, Vaccination Programme

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