Coronavirus mass vaccination drive has begun in the United Kingdom. A 90-year-old grandmother named Margaret Keenan became the first in the world to be injected with the Pfizer and BioNTech vaccine jab. The dose was injected into the shoulder of Keenan.
She received the vaccination at her local hospital in Coventry in central England at 6.30 am.
Ms Keenan said, “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."
70 hospitals are expecting around 800,000 vaccine doses in the coming days in just less than a week. Britain became the first country in the world to approve a vaccine against COVID-19.
UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the deploying vaccine means there was "light at the end of the tunnel" for Britain. The nation so far has registered more than 60,000 Covid related deaths since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic.
He adds, "We will look back on today, V-day, as a key moment in our fightback against this terrible disease.”
Britain has reserved about 40 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine, which would be enough for about a third of the population as a person would need two shots of the drug to gain immunity.
UK’s vaccination program of Pfizer-BioNTech will be closely observed around the world because of the complicated steps required to store, distribute and administer the drug.
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson thanked the country's National Health Service (NHS) and those who have worked in the development of the vaccine, on social media.
He said, "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."
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The vaccine needs to be injected twice in a person’s shoulder over three weeks and manufacturers said patients might experience some side effects that would stay for a day or two.
Boris Johnson said that it is a huge step towards the fight against the virus, "As the program ramps up in the weeks and months ahead, it is as important as ever to keep to the COVID winter plan: Follow the rules in your area and remember the basics of hands, face and space."