‘We put the country before our families and had it thrown in our faces’ – essential workers react to aged-based vaccine roll-out 

They were often left out of debates about which sector is most at risk and should be given priority in the vaccination queue. All that is irrelevant now as vaccines will be given in order of age, but many in these sectors still feel hard done by.

Father-of-three Robert Sullivan is an SNA at a special school in Co Meath. He returned to the classroom on February 11, under the impression they would receive the vaccine once the most vulnerable were looked after. His eldest son has Down syndrome and is deemed high-risk, but hasn’t been vaccinated yet.

“We’re now wondering whether we’ll even be vaccinated before the return to school in September,” Mr Sullivan said.

“I’m 48 but the roll-out has been so slow, so I’m living in hope that they’ll ramp it up soon.

“As much as I love my job, it’s difficult. I don’t see anybody. I haven’t seen my father since Christmas Eve and we do this to protect the young lad I live with. I love the kids but we have to think of ourselves and our home life sometimes too.

“We were always unhappy about going back without vaccinations, but that is the nature of the job. Children need to be in school, but it would destroy me to think I could pass on the virus to one of the children in the school also. It’s very stressful.”

Brendan O’Connor, vice-president with the Garda Representative Association (GRA), said members feel “betrayed”.

“The Government has failed to recognise the gardaí’s efforts to date in fighting this pandemic. We put the country first before our families. We worked in circumstances where PPE and the level of protection wasn’t up to standard, but we didn’t complain and did what was asked, safe in the knowledge we’d be vaccinated soon. We’ve had that thrown back in our face.”

Mr O’Connor doesn’t believe the new system will be more efficient.

“We don’t accept that it will be simpler to vaccinate people by age. We have our own medical department within the organisation, so it would be simple to vaccinate our own members if they would allow it.”

An Garda Síochána has confirmed it will accept any offers of surplus vaccines made by the Health Service Executive, or its agents, in the meantime.  

Anne Loughnane, a teacher at Pobalscoil Inbhear Scéine in Kenmare, Co Kerry, said the impression unions got was that the programme was being changed as it is more practical from an IT point of view.

“We can’t sacrifice people’s health because our IT isn’t up to scratch,” Ms Loughnane said. “This shouldn’t be a reason for changing the vaccine roll-out.

“It’s downgrading. It’s not giving teachers or other groups respect as essential workers. Paying lip service to essential workers and saying how grateful they are, that is of very little use. In the US, teachers over 50 were given priority. The Government can and should do more.”

Teacher Lisa, who asked for her surname not to be published, has been a primary school teacher for two years. She believes the new approach makes more sense.

“Everyone’s home situation is different,” she said. “My mam is 56 and is high-risk, but not high-risk enough to have got it already. With this new system she’ll get it before I do, which is better in my opinion. I’m glad the older teachers will get vaccinated ahead of the younger ones too. Obviously I want life to go back to normal but there’s no point complaining.

"I’m the youngest teacher in my school so I feel like the famous Mean Girls quote will be applicable for the new roll-out. The older teachers will be, like, ‘You can’t sit with us!’”

Lisa Keane works in a supermarket in Dublin and says she spent most of last year worrying about the risks brought about by her job.

“I have bad asthma and my husband has just come through cancer so if I caught Covid, it would be very risky for both of us,” she said.

“Even though people are supposed to wear face coverings, a lot wear them under their chin so it’s completely pointless. There was also a queuing system in the beginning but that’s gone out the window and there are days when the shop is packed.”

Tom Dillon works as a bus driver for a private firm and says while his employer has done everything possible to ensure his safety and the safety of passengers, he still feels uneasy.

“I’m dealing with the public every day and feel exposed to the virus,” he said. “Sometimes passengers try to get on without a mask and there’s an argument before they either follow the rules or get off, but I can’t see if they are wearing it when they are sitting down in their seats, so I always feel at risk.

“And I feel guilty coming home to my family after a long shift as I would be gutted if I caught something and passed it on to them.”

For pharmacist Eoghan Hanley, who runs two pharmacies in Loughrea, Co Galway, the biggest issue is not the vaccination list but the lack of a supply of vaccines.

“Pharmacy workers are in Cohort 2, so we have been vaccinated,” he says. “But I do believe that others in essential retail, along with delivery drivers who deliver twice a day to the 1,800 pharmacies around the country and people in the warehouses where medicines are packed and stored, are also at risk.

“Pharmacists, along with GPS, nurses, dentists and even the army are willing and able to administer vaccines but unfortunately the issue is down to a lack of vaccine rather than vaccinators.”

Online Editors