EMOTIONS were high for a councillor advising the government on the vaccine rollout as he got his first Covid jab.

The Royal Borough’s lead member for health, councillor Stuart Carroll, who is an epidemiologist, is on the UK vaccine taskforce which ensures the Covid jabs are distributed across the country.

Cllr Carroll, 38, got an earlier appointment at the Heathrow vaccination centre and received the Pfizer vaccine last week.

READ MORE: Boris Johnson issues update on plans to end lockdown on June 21

Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, he said: “As someone who has been working on the vaccination programme at a national level and looking at things internationally, it was a fantastic experience to actually see it live for myself and it was extremely well organised and arranged.

“From a personal point of view, my profound appreciation and thanks to the NHS and to all the staff who are working on the frontline day in and day out delivering the vaccination campaign.

“It was remarkably smooth and I’m feeling absolutely fine.

Cllr Carrols vaccine record (Credit: Cllr Carroll)

Cllr Carrol's vaccine record (Credit: Cllr Carroll)

“I think for someone like myself who has been working on this since the start of the pandemic, I arguably had an additional level of emotion attached to it because when you’ve been working on it so closely on it, it’s fantastic to see it being rolled out.

“It was wonderful to see that first vaccine administered back in December, but to receive it personally, it was definitely a special moment and one I will remember for the rest of my life.”

READ MORE: Setting up Windsor & Maidenhead's youth council "off to a flying start"

Cllr Carroll added: “It is absolutely vital that everyone who is eligible, when the call comes from the NHS, we come forward regardless of age, gender, and ethnicity to get the vaccine.

“The vaccine is our way out of this pandemic. It’s our nuclear weapon and all of us need to arm and equip ourselves to make sure we are protected against this vicious virus, and we play a wider social, communal part in terms of taking our responsibility seriously to curtail onward transmission.”