A SENSE of real hope and relief spread around the Kassam Stadium as more and more frontline NHS staff were given the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine – just a few miles from where it was created.

Healthcare workers started filing into at the reception area of the football stadium just after 8am yesterday to prepare for a sharp 9am start.

As they walked up the spiral staircase leading to the vaccination hub on the second floor, I and the rest of the press lined up for a quick Covid-19 test.

Members of the press have to have a lateral flow test, which takes less than half an hour to determine whether you are a carrier of the virus, to be allowed in the building.

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The mandatory procedure is one of many that give the impression of a military-style operation at the centre where medics are the real warriors.

Once inside, those who have been invited for vaccinations are asked to line up in the foyer upstairs and wait to be called into the conference room, which was used for after-game football briefings not that long ago.

The sizeable room is split into two sections, which are in themselves separated into tight white cubicles.

Oxford Vaccine Centre Day 2 - Kassam Stadium 26/01/2021 Picture by Ed Nix

Oxford Vaccine Centre Day 2 - Kassam Stadium 26/01/2021 Picture by Ed Nix

There is also a wide corridor in between, carefully marked with yellow signs on the floor to remind people to adhere to social distancing and keep two meters apart.

It was early in the day and most cubicles were still empty; there was almost an unusual peacefulness in the air that felt like the calm before the storm.

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One of the first people to be vaccinated yesterday was chief executive of Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust Dr Nick Broughton.

As the CEO began rolling up the sleeves of his stripey blue and white shirt and woollen jumper, he realised he had arrived completely unprepared for getting a vaccine and was forced to find alternative clothing and borrow a medical scrub top.

This week, only frontline healthcare staff who have face-to-face contact with patients are getting the jab.

Oxford Vaccine Centre Day 2 - Kassam Stadium 26/01/2021 Picture by Ed Nix

Oxford Vaccine Centre Day 2 - Kassam Stadium 26/01/2021 Picture by Ed Nix

For many, like mental health nurse Toyin Okuyemi , who works in Littlemore, receiving the vaccine was an emotional experience, for which they had waited months.

For many, that meant that they could feel more confident interacting with their patients and do their jobs easier.

But for Ms Okuyemi, receiving the first of two jabs meant that she would finally be able to hug her 16-year-old son without fear that she is bringing the virus to her home.

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At a quick glance, not much seemed to be happening – the conference hall was quiet and there were no queues or crowds outside the hall.

But as the clock ticked away more and more people were coming out of the centre having received the vaccine.

It looked like a well-oiled operation where there was no time for fuss or chatter – but medical staff were still taking the time to walk people through the vaccine, its possible side effects and ask them vital questions to ensure that they are indeed eligible to receive it.