THE first person to be treated at Birmingham's mass vaccination super hub was 46-year-old hospital worker from Redditch Selina Wilson.
The occupational therapist received her first dose of the AstraZeneca Oxford vaccine just after midday on Monday (January 11) at the city's Millennium Point.
The multi-use meeting and conference venue, which includes the Thinktank Science Museum, has been converted into one of seven UK mass injection centres.
Around 600 people aged 80 and above, as well as health workers, were estimated to receive the vaccine at the site throughout the afternoon.
They hope to increase capacity to 2,500 per day as medics aim to deliver potentially life-saving jabs at a rate of 15 people per hour.
Mum-of-two Selina, from Redditch, who also has two grandchildren, works at Moseley Hall Hospital in Birmingham.
She said: “I feel absolutely fine. It was not a problem at all.
“I think everyone should have it because you need to protect yourself, your family and others.
“This vaccine can help us protect the NHS and save lives.
“I’ve had it because my work puts me at high risk. It feels great to have it and it’s a bit overwhelming to be one of the first here.
“I used to see my young grandchildren regularly, but obviously haven’t been able to - I’m looking forward to seeing them more.”
Grandmother Rita Passey, 81, a retired sales assistant also from Redditch, said it felt “brilliant” to be vaccinated.
She said: “When my family found out I was having the jab they were delighted. My daughter gave me a lift to the centre.
“Her son was excited I was getting the Oxford vaccine because he studied at Oxford University.
“He said ‘make sure you get the Oxford one gran’ - I told him I didn’t have a choice.
“I can’t wait to get back to the things I like doing like walking and Pilates.
“I can see my daughter but can’t see my son because he’s in Australia.”
University Hospital Birmingham matron Helen Gyves, the nurse in charge of the project, said: “Our customers have received a letter asking them to come in.
“They have a choice of venue and when they have booked they get an appointment slot.
“They are given a QR code when they arrive which is scanned to bring up their booking details.
“We check they have consented to the vaccine and ask them other questions to make sure they are the right person.
“In the lane they are asked more clinical questions.
“If everything goes to plan in there we advise them before driving to sit in the waiting room for 15 minutes.
“We are only using the Astra Zeneca vaccine on site because we do not have the facilities for the Moderna vaccine on site.
“Around 600 hundred people will be vaccinated today and that will ramp up to 1,200 on full days for the rest of the week.
“Eventually that will be 2,500 a day.
“There will be 70 staff today and there will be hundreds when fully open.
“We will have four cubicles today which we call lanes and there will be 28 on site.
“We should deal with 15 people in each lane per hour and we’ll be open for 12 hours a day.”
Dr Peter Ingham, retired chairman of the Birmingham and Solihull clinical commissioning group, said people were coming from within a 100 mile radius.
He said: “It’s brilliant to think we are starting to get through real numbers.
“This project is about getting back to the things we remember before Covid.
“We’re in a third wave and there’s little we can do about it now. But this vaccine should be able to stop a fourth wave.
“This is a very safe vaccine and I would encourage everyone to have one.
“The Astra Zeneca is a really quick vaccine. I think 2,500 jabs a day is a soft ceiling and we could be able to do more.”
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