First Individuals Receive Covid-19 Vaccine In UK
The United Kingdom has become the first nation in the world to begin administering a Covid-19 vaccine to its citizens in a non-trial context. 90-year-old Margaret Keenan received the first of two doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine this morning. Keenan turns 91 next week, and claims to feel “privileged” that she was given the first shot.
“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.”
William Shakespere is the 81-year-old Briton who received the second shot of the Covid-19 vaccine after Keenan this morning. Throughout the rest of the UK, Nurse Joanna Sloan became the first person in Northern Ireland to receive the vaccine and George Dyer became the first individual living in London to get the shot.
Dyer is a former butcher and hospital volunteer who claims to feel very lucky to be one of the first people in the world to receive the vaccination. “Covid-19 is a terrible thing and I feel very lucky that I can now get this vaccine to keep the virus away. It’s like I’m about to be given a new lease of life, and I cannot wait to get back out there and make myself useful again.”
Gill Rogers is a Sussex resident who received the vaccine on Tuesday. Rogers’ husband unfortunately died from the virus back in April, and she claims the grief has been “quite hard” to endure especially in isolation, so the vaccination is giving her the ability to at least go outside and see others with a little less worry.
All vaccinated individuals should continue to abide by all standard health and safety practices implemented by the CDC until further notice, however, the vaccine does at least provide that extra layer of security. UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson told the UK media this Tuesday morning that the vaccine will “gradually make a huge difference. It’s amazing to see the vaccine come out, it’s amazing to see this tremendous shot in the arm for the entire nation, but we can’t afford to relax now. I would just say to all those who are scared, don’t be … you see people take the vaccine this morning, in large numbers, people are going to be taking it in the next few days, and weeks and there is nothing to be nervous about.”
The UK has ordered 40 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine but only 800,000 shots will be made available for the first wave of distribution so that other parts of the world that have already reserved dosages of the vaccine will have access to them as well once their respective governments give them the go ahead.
The vaccine also is two doses administered at least three weeks apart, so around a third of the UK will be vaccinated after the first round of distribution. If the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine gets approved as well in the coming weeks, as it’s currently projected to, the UK will also have 7 million doses reserved for itself.
Currently there are 50 vaccination hubs in hospitals across England and dozens others across Wales and Scotland. Individuals over the age of 80 as well as healthcare workers will be the first to be vaccinated. For now it’s only being made available via invitation for those 80 or over/all workers in the healthcare industry.
Eric Mastrota is a Contributing Editor at The National Digest based in New York. A graduate of SUNY New Paltz, he reports on world news, culture, and lifestyle. You can reach him at eric.mastrota@thenationaldigest.com.