By Paul O’Donovan
“Hopefully this is the start of the end. There was a great sense of excitement all around. There was a very positive vibe and hopefully there is a light now at the end of the tunnel,” said Mullingar Clinical Nurse Manager Alva Whelan after she received the new covid vaccine in Mullingar Regional Hospital last Friday, 8 January.
Alva was one of the very considerable number of staff and other hospital personnel, close to 2,000, who received the covid vaccine at the hospital, during a marathon well organised procedure that began on Friday at noon, and continued until 10pm, and began at 6.30am on Saturday, and went on until 10pm and continued on Sunday until they had no more vaccine.
The remaining number had to wait until additional vaccine supplies arrived.
Alva Whelan has been working at Mullingar Hospital for the past 15 years. However, last Friday, 8 January 2021 is a date that will stand out in her memory for a long time – the day the vaccine was rolled out.
