The ‘herculean’ efforts to give 1,200 people the Covid-19 jab in just two days have been revealed.

Dr Eilir Hughes, a GP at Nefyn’s Ty Doctor, worked with Botwnnog’s Rhydbach and Pwllheli’s Treflan practices to deliver doses of the Pfizer vaccine, which was previously only available at special mass vaccination centres due to the ultra-low temperatures it has to be stored at.

Dr Hughes said: “We wanted to do this and there had been lobbying and efforts to persuade authorities that we would be able to achieve what we’d set out to do, so we had been in ‘stand-by’ mode since the start of the week.

“We didn’t know if or when we would get the eventual go-ahead, but it was all systems go from that point and we were all primed and ready.”

GPs and admin staff had just two days to train, prepare the venue and work through lists of people eligible to receive their first dose, booking time slots to vaccinate over 1,000 of them in just two days.

Watch Dr Hughes prepare the vaccine in the video below

Dr Hughes personally guarded supplies until they could start administering on Saturday morning.

“The Pfizer vaccine is very delicate in terms of temperature but also treatment,” said Dr Hughes.

“You can’t shake the bottle or be rough with it in any way or else the genetic material denatures and becomes largely useless.

“You can only administer it on one site were there’s a medical fridge and good security, with enough room to monitor patients for 15 minutes after they’ve received the vaccine.”

Gwynedd Council delivered 150 cones and gritted roads, while police prepared a traffic management plan assisted by a crew of volunteers.

“There are so many people to thank,” said Dr Hughes.

“The overwhelming feeling right now is relief after such a challenging weekend due to the quick turnaround.

“The emotion of seeing so many people relieved to have received the first vaccine makes it all worthwhile.

“As a team, we are so pleased we managed to achieve it and would like to thank all the administrative staff across all the surgeries for working so hard and persevering in contacting everyone to come in.

“Of course the stewards also played a major role under cold and difficult circumstances, voluntarily, and Sergeant Colin Jones and the police were also invaluable in the support they offered.

“It’s truly humbling to see our community come together as one, to protect and deliver for our most vulnerable.”

Dr Hughes said his team has a better understanding of what to do in April to deliver a second vaccine to the same patients.

Arfon MS Sian Gwenllian paid tribute to the work of the GPs after taking her 92-year-old mother for her jab.

“As a result of the excellent efforts of local medical leaders and despite a whole host of bureaucratic barriers and snow, 1,200 people were vaccinated.

“GPs and health workers are doing heroic work in all parts of Wales, and our debt to them is very great.”

First Minister Mark Drakeford said the weekend push demonstrated “the spirit and the effort that people are making”.

Dwyfor Meirionnydd MP Liz Saville Roberts said: “I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to everyone at Nefyn’s T? Doctor for their tireless work in providing 1,200 Pfizer BioNTech vaccinations to priority patients from three Pen Ll?n surgeries last weekend.

“Between clinical and surgery staff, officers from North Wales Police and an army of local volunteers, the whole process was carried out with professionalism, with everyone in high spirits.

“In spite of the bad weather, it was a joyous moment seeing relief on the faces of so many who have been housebound for the best part of a year.

“This vaccine, and the tremendous efforts of frontline health staff, gives us hope of better times ahead.”