VICKY PHELAN has received a Covid-19 vaccine in the United States, where she is undergoing treatment for cancer.
In 2014, Ms Phelan was diagnosed with terminal cancer after receiving a false negative cervical smear test carried out by CervicalCheck in 2011-- over 200 women were affected by similar mistakes, and many later received terminal diagnoses.
Ms Phelan took the US laboratory that carried out the inaccurate smears to court, and in 2018, Ms Phelan was awarded a €2.5m settlement by Ireland’s High Court. She has devoted her life to raising awareness and seeking justice for other women affected by the scandal.
The activist and patient advocate, who lives in Limerick, has been separated from family and friends since January this year as she undergoes experimental treatment in Maryland, US as part of an immunotherapy drug trial.
Last month, the mother of two announced that there are signs the experimental treatment is working-- and in further good news, Ms Phelan revealed yesterday that she has received a Covid-19 vaccine which will see her fully immunised to the virus.
Taking to Instagram, Ms Phelan said she is "both delighted and relieved" to be vaccinated.
"The constant worry of catching Covid was weighing heavily on me because if I were to catch Covid, I would have to come off my clinical trial and that was not something that I wanted to happen."
She received the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which means that, unlike Pfizer and AstraZeneca, she will not have to return for a second dose in the weeks to come.
She added that she is feeling well, but tired-- "but that could also be because of treatment yesterday".
The United States vaccination programme is continuing to accelerate, with over 165 million vaccines administered so far, and Joe Biden recently announcing that from 19 April, all citizens will be eligible to receive a vaccination.
