Ninety-year-old woman Margaret Keenan was administered the first of the two injections of the Pfizer vaccine at University Hospital, Coventry, prior to her birthday next week. The United Kingdom on Tuesday became the first nation to start providing the COVID-19 vaccine created by Pfizer and BioNTech. Its mass vaccination program was commenced, which is expected to administer vaccines to 4 million people by the end of the month.
The First Person to Receive Pfizer Vaccine Shot in the World
Keenan was the initial recipient of the Pfizer novel coronavirus vaccine outside of a trial after its rapid clinical approval.
She received the shot at the local hospital on Tuesday morning at 06:31 GMT.
Nurse May Parsons administered the shot, marking what the National Health Service (NHS) has dubbed a "landmark moment" on Vaccine Day or V-day in the bout against the fatal coronavirus, reported The News Minute.
According to Keenan, "I feel so privileged to be the first person vaccinated against COVID-19, it's the best early birthday present I could wish for because it means I can finally look forward to spending time with my family and friends in the New Year after being on my own for most of the year."
She added that she is thankful to Parsons and the NHS staff who took care of her. She advises people offered the vaccine to take it as if she could receive it at 90, they could have it as well, reported Buzzfeed News.
Shortly after Keenan received the vaccine shot, a second patient, 81-year-old William Shakespeare from Coventry, also received his dosage.
The UK commenced disseminating the coronavirus vaccine on Tuesday, hence the name "V-Day." It is the first Western nation to start immunizing its general population in what was touted as a decisive watershed in combatting the virus.
On Saturday, Russia started inoculating thousands of doctors, teachers, and others at numerous centers in Moscow with the Sputnik V vaccine.
The NHS has initiated its biggest vaccine campaign in the United Kingdom.
The COVID-19 vaccines will be administered at 70 hospital hubs around Britain. Patients who are 80 years old and over who are either already admitted to the hospital as an outpatient or are being discharged home after being hospitalized are the first in line.
Keenan is among the first batch of people contacted in advance by the NHS for the shot based on pre-determined health risk criteria. The list will also include the 87-year-old British Indian grandfather of nine Hari Shukla, who will receive his first jab at a Newcastle hospital.
NHS workers who are most susceptible to the virus are also included among the first to receive the "life-saving" shot.
According to Prime Minister Boris Johnson, "Today marks a huge step forward in the UK's fight against coronavirus, as we begin delivering the vaccine to the first patients across the whole country." He added he was very proud of the vaccine's developers, members of the public who participated in the clinical trials, and the NHS, who have worked relentlessly to prepare for the dissemination, reported India Today.
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