'After a year of sacrifice vaccination day felt more like Independence Day'

SEAMUS FARRELLY

I HAVE been a photographer for over 40 years, 30 of them being with the Meath Chronicle.

During these 30 years I have photographed the good times and the bad, the events and the occasions but Friday February 19th 2021, was perhaps the most rewarding day of my entire career.

I was sent to Bedford Centre and the Abbey Centre to take photographs of the first vaccinations of the over-85’s population. I arrived on the job with much trepidation that we would be imposing on a very private day but myself and reporter Sally Harding were met with quite the opposite.

I stood back and watched the army of 80-plus-year-olds come into the centres. Each person had been assigned an individual time slot and every single person was right on time. They arrived with a sparkle in their eyes and a relative spring in their step. Even though every person was wearing a mask, you could see the pure emotion and delight in their eyes.

When I was in the reception area I did remark that it was not unlike the old days where we would queue to go the dances. Just akin to those days, where there was a buzz of excitement of what was going to happen, the same excitement lingered here except instead of waiting for a slow dance, people were waiting to see the doctor.

I was invited into Dr. Maguire’s room where a man was getting his vaccination. The gent was asked to remove his cardigan so the doctor had access to an injection point. However, this man had a long sleeved woollen jumper underneath.

When, the doctor then asked him remove the jumper, the man had a long sleeved vest underneath that. County Meath’s own version of Forty coats. It took him longer to get dressed than the actual injection took to administer.

Out in the recovery room where those who had received the vaccine had to rest for 15 minutes afterwards. One man told us that he was getting the vaccine in honour of his wife who had sadly passed away three years ago, by getting the vaccine he would be able to live on for her.

By listening to these stories of people who have essentially given up their lives for the best part of a year now in order to keep themselves safe and alive, I realised that this day, Friday, February 19th was their Independence Day. After the 15 minutes was up, the newly vaccinated cohort all left with a sense of joy, pride and hope. All ready to return in approximately three weeks for their second dose.

The only thing I have left to say is to the man with the cardigan… maybe not as many layers next time!