Staff and residents at Hemel Hempstead care home receive Covid-19 vaccination

Staff and residents at a care home in Hemel Hempstead have received their Covid-19 vaccine.

With individuals living in a care home setting now being regarded as a 'top priority' to receive the Covid-19 vaccine, private dementia care provider B&M Care has begun to roll out vaccinations across the group.

Targeting both residents and staff, The Lodge Care Home on Broad Street, Hemel Hempstead is the latest B&M Care Home to receive the vaccination.

Throughout the roll out, residents will be vaccinated in their respective care homes.

Staff are being vaccinated in either the home that they work in, or alternatively, at a local community vaccination hub.

For The Lodge, both residents and staff received the vaccine in the home.

Lisa Pinner, The Lodge care home manager, said: "It was a milestone moment for us to receive the vaccination.

"Delivered as part of B&M Care’s Infection Control response, the vaccine has now added yet another layer of protection to those that live and work in the home, whilst reassuring those considering our home that the health, safety and wellbeing of our residents and staff remain our number one priority.”

Aside from a sore arm and a mild headache, B&M Care has not documented any significant adverse side effects.

In addition to the roll out of vaccinations, each B&M Care Home will continue to test residents on a monthly basis using PCR testing.

Staff will continue to be tested weekly using PCR testing, as well as twice a week using Lateral Flow Device (LFD) test kits which provide a result within 30 minutes.

Should a resident or member of staff test positive using either test kit, additional testing is undertaken.