It’s the beginning of the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, as Great Britain has started the first phase of COVID-19 vaccination drive on Tuesday.
Tuesday marked the turning point in fight against COVID-19 as the much awaited vaccination drive has started in Great Britain, the first in the world.
Britain rolled out the COVID-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech for general public on Tuesday.
90-year-old Margaret Keenan became the first person in the world to receive the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine.
Keenan received the vaccination at University Hospital in Coventry, central England, early on Tuesday morning.
“I feel so privileged to be the first person vaccinated against COVID-19,” said Keenan after being administered the vaccine.
This is the moment that 90-year-old grandmother Margaret Keenan returned to the ward at her local hospital in Coventry, after she became the first person in the world to receive the clinically-approved #COVIDVaccine this morning ?????? pic.twitter.com/80yRjJLRhM
— NHS Midlands (@NHSMidlands) December 8, 2020
Second in line who was administered the vaccine is 81-year-old William Shakespeare.
His name did tickled some funny bones.
Britain Health secretary Matt Hancock had a laugh on live television that the second person to receive the vaccine was named William Shakespeare.
Among those lined up to first receive the vaccine in the first phase are also Indian-origin Hari Shukla, a retired teacher and race relations campaigner in North England, and his wife, Ranjan, 83.
Today we are making history by vaccinating one of the first patients in the world against #COVID19 Thank you to Dr and Mrs Shukla for letting us capture this significant moment in history @NHSEngland https://t.co/X6ZHIRjwhX
— Newcastle Hospitals (@NewcastleHosps) December 8, 2020
Hari Shukla expressing happiness said that he was pleased to know that year-long pandemic is coming to an end with the beginning of the vaccinations.
Those who received the vaccines on the first day include people over 80 years of age, care home workers and at-risk frontline health and social care staff.
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Notably, those who have been administered the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine will require a second dose in another 21 days’ time.
Last week Britain became the first country to approve the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, raising hopes of a breakthrough in the pandemic, which has killed more than 1.5 million worldwide.
Britain has been one of the worst-affected countries in the world, recording more than 61,000 deaths and 1.6 million cases, since the outbreak of the pandemic.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who was also tested positive or COVID-19, said, “Today the first vaccinations in the UK against COVID-19 begin. Thank you to our NHS, to all of the scientists who worked so hard to develop this vaccine, to all the volunteers – and to everyone who has been following the rules to protect others. We will beat this together.”
Today the first vaccinations in the UK against COVID-19 begin. Thank you to our NHS, to all of the scientists who worked so hard to develop this vaccine, to all the volunteers – and to everyone who has been following the rules to protect others. We will beat this together. https://t.co/poOYG1vHQe
— Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) December 8, 2020