Full article Fabian Picardo QC MP said: The arrival of this vaccine is a demonstration of our work with the FCDO and MoD as part of the British family of nations. RoyalAirForce delivered nearly 6,000 life-saving Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines to @RAF Gib on behalf of @FCDOGovUK
British Overseas Territory Gibraltar received on Saturday the first consignment of the COVID-19 vaccine supplied by the UK. The vaccine supplied is the Pfizer BioNTech, which has been given to the vast majority of people that have received a COVID-19 vaccination in the U.K.
Studies show that up to 95% of people who are fully vaccinated with the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine develop an immune response.
The relief following the arrival of the first batch of Covid-19 vaccines on the Rock was tempered by the latest data from the Gibraltar Government, which reported another four deaths in Gibraltar linked to the virus.
To put that into perspective, .
Vaccine’s arrival on Rock signals ‘beginning of end of Covid nightmare’
Photos by Johnny Bugeja 9th January 2021
The “beginning to the end of the Covid-19 nightmare” will commence at 8am Sunday morning following the arrival of approximately 7,000 doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine on a military aircraft on Saturday evening.
The highly anticipated arrival was followed by many across the Rock on flight-tracking software, and by officials and dignitaries who were present on the airfield apron and in the basement of St Bernard’s Hospital where the vaccines will be kept in freezers under high surveillance.
The Governor, Vice Admiral Sir David Steel, and Chief Minister Fabian Picardo were at the airfield to see the A400 land in unpleasant weather conditions.
Gibraltar starts vaccinating against Covid-19
Acting Medical Director Krishna Rawal received the first Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine in Gibraltar this morning.
At approximately 5am on Sunday morning staff from the GHA Pharmacy Team removed some of the vaccines, which arrived to both great fanfare and relief on Saturday evening, from the freezer in St Bernard’s Hospital so they would thaw.
At 8.44am district nurse Daniella Hernandez administered the first vaccine to Dr Rawal, the first of approximately 300 vaccines that will be injected on Sunday to GHA and Elderly Residential Services.
“I feel fine, perfect, absolutely great,” said Dr Rawal.
Grim news of four Covid deaths tempers joy of vaccine rollout
Nurses prepare to vaccinate residents at Hillsides on Sunday. 10th January 2021
Gibraltar recorded four Covid-related deaths on Sunday, tempering euphoria a day earlier following the arrival of the first shipment of Pfizer/BioNTech vaccines from the UK.
The vaccine offers hope of a way out of the public health crisis that has upturned community life since last March.
The vaccination program started early on Sunday and will be rolled out in the coming days to frontline healthcare staff and the elderly.
But even as the Gibraltar Health Authority began vaccinating, the promise of hope came with a grim reminder that Gibraltar cannot escape the threat posed by Covid-19 to communities around the globe.