coronavirus, canberra, covid, covid-19, covid vaccine, pfizer vaccine, uk vaccine
Peter Bridgewater was prepared to do whatever it took to receive a COVID-19 vaccination. That led the Canberran to brave a snowstorm on foot, travelling to a nearby vaccination centre to receive the jab. Professor Bridgewater, an academic at the University of Canberra, has been stuck in the UK for almost one year, unable to return to the ACT due to international border closures caused by the pandemic. However, as a UK citizen, the ACT resident was entitled to receive a dose of the COVID-19 vaccine that has been rolled out across Britain in recent weeks. “I have been intending to come back to Canberra, but every time it looks like I’m able to, something else has gone wrong, like Australian border closures,” he said. “When the vaccine rollout started in the UK, I thought I would hang on and get the vaccination.” The Canberran has become one of almost 9 million people in the UK to receive a COVID-19 vaccine since they were approved for emergency use in December. He received his first dose of the Pfizer vaccine, one of three approved for use in the UK, on January 14. His second dose is set to be administered in coming weeks. Now living in Sheffield, north-west of London, Professor Bridgewater was able to receive the jab after the UK’s National Health Service contacted him, advising him of the time and place he could get the vaccination. However, the date of his vaccination appointment happened to coincide with a snowstorm that shut down public transport services and closed schools in the nearby area. With the time for the vaccine not being flexible, despite the weather, Professor Bridgewater braved the conditions in order to be immunised at the vaccination centre. “Having to walk across the city in a snowstorm was not easy, it wasn’t exactly the closest medical practice,” he said. The 75-year-old was in one of the first three priority groups in the country to get the jab, which also included residents in care homes, emergency workers, and those over the age of 70. While there has been much criticism about the UK government’s handling of the virus, Professor Bridgewater said the rollout of the vaccine to the population had been handled better. “The vaccine is a clear success, and it is difficult to argue with that,” he said. “It was anticipated early and the orders came in quickly. “All the residents in care homes and staff have been vaccinated. “Before the rollout, the management of the pandemic has been pretty bad here. “However, daily cases are now dropping and hospital admissions are dropping and the trends are now moving in the right direction and the vaccine rollout has been going gangbusters.” READ MORE: Australia has approved the Pfizer vaccine for use, with the first doses set to be rolled out this month, based on current schedules, with healthcare and quarantine workers among those set to receive the jab first. Professor Bridgewater has been in the UK since February 2020, when he travelled to the country for a series of conferences. He had intended to stay in the UK for a few weeks, but COVID-19 changed all of that. The University of Canberra academic is one of thousands of Australians who are stranded overseas and would like to return to Australia. While it is not known how many Canberrans are stuck abroad, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said 40,000 Australian citizens had registered as being overseas and waiting to return home. “Since March, DFAT has helped over 39,000 Australians return on over 500 flights including over 14,000 people on 100 government facilitated flights,” a department spokesman said. “In the six weeks prior to Christmas, DFAT made over 50,000 offers of places on flights to Australians registered overseas.” Professor Bridgewater said he was still looking for ways to return to the ACT. “I’ve given up on forecasting as to when that would be because there’s been so many twists and turns,” he said. “Hopefully I’ll be able to do so after Easter.” For faster access to the latest Canberra news, download The Canberra Times app for iOS and Android.
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Peter Bridgewater was prepared to do whatever it took to receive a COVID-19 vaccination.
That led the Canberran to brave a snowstorm on foot, travelling to a nearby vaccination centre to receive the jab.
Professor Bridgewater, an academic at the University of Canberra, has been stuck in the UK for almost one year, unable to return to the ACT due to international border closures caused by the pandemic.
However, as a UK citizen, the ACT resident was entitled to receive a dose of the COVID-19 vaccine that has been rolled out across Britain in recent weeks.
“I have been intending to come back to Canberra, but every time it looks like I’m able to, something else has gone wrong, like Australian border closures,” he said.
“When the vaccine rollout started in the UK, I thought I would hang on and get the vaccination.”
The Canberran has become one of almost 9 million people in the UK to receive a COVID-19 vaccine since they were approved for emergency use in December.
He received his first dose of the Pfizer vaccine, one of three approved for use in the UK, on January 14.
His second dose is set to be administered in coming weeks.
Now living in Sheffield, north-west of London, Professor Bridgewater was able to receive the jab after the UK’s National Health Service contacted him, advising him of the time and place he could get the vaccination.
However, the date of his vaccination appointment happened to coincide with a snowstorm that shut down public transport services and closed schools in the nearby area.
With the time for the vaccine not being flexible, despite the weather, Professor Bridgewater braved the conditions in order to be immunised at the vaccination centre.
A nurse prepares to administer the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine to patients at a London hospital, at the start of the UK’s immunisation program in 2020. Picture: Getty Images
“Having to walk across the city in a snowstorm was not easy, it wasn’t exactly the closest medical practice,” he said.
The 75-year-old was in one of the first three priority groups in the country to get the jab, which also included residents in care homes, emergency workers, and those over the age of 70.
While there has been much criticism about the UK government’s handling of the virus, Professor Bridgewater said the rollout of the vaccine to the population had been handled better.
“The vaccine is a clear success, and it is difficult to argue with that,” he said.
“It was anticipated early and the orders came in quickly.
“All the residents in care homes and staff have been vaccinated.
“Before the rollout, the management of the pandemic has been pretty bad here.
“However, daily cases are now dropping and hospital admissions are dropping and the trends are now moving in the right direction and the vaccine rollout has been going gangbusters.”
Australia has approved the Pfizer vaccine for use, with the first doses set to be rolled out this month, based on current schedules, with healthcare and quarantine workers among those set to receive the jab first.
Professor Bridgewater has been in the UK since February 2020, when he travelled to the country for a series of conferences.
He had intended to stay in the UK for a few weeks, but COVID-19 changed all of that.
The University of Canberra academic is one of thousands of Australians who are stranded overseas and would like to return to Australia.
While it is not known how many Canberrans are stuck abroad, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said 40,000 Australian citizens had registered as being overseas and waiting to return home.
“Since March, DFAT has helped over 39,000 Australians return on over 500 flights including over 14,000 people on 100 government facilitated flights,” a department spokesman said.
“In the six weeks prior to Christmas, DFAT made over 50,000 offers of places on flights to Australians registered overseas.”
Professor Bridgewater said he was still looking for ways to return to the ACT.
“I’ve given up on forecasting as to when that would be because there’s been so many twists and turns,” he said.
“Hopefully I’ll be able to do so after Easter.”
