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Margaret Keenan, 90, became the first person to be vaccinated in the Western world, outside of research studies. Wearing a mouth guard and apparently comfortably reclined in an armchair, she received the syringe in the English city of Coventry.
– It’s the best early birthday present I could get because it means I can look forward to spending time with my family and friends, after being alone for almost a year, she says.
The vaccine was administered by Nurse May Parson, who says it was a great honor to administer the first dose in the UK.
– It feels like there is a light in the tunnel, he says.
400,000 are vaccinated in the first wave
Hari Shukla, 87, and his wife Ranjan Shukla, 83, are also among the first to be vaccinated.
“I am happy that we are nearing the end of the pandemic and I am happy that I can do my part by taking the vaccine,” Hari Shukla told The Guardian.
They receive the first of two doses a week after Great Britain, as the first country in the Western world, approved Pfizer’s vaccine.
– I have been in contact with health care and I know how hard everyone has worked. I am grateful for all that they have done to try to keep us safe during the pandemic, says Hari Shukla.
The couple are among the first of around 400,000 people to be prioritized in the first wave of vaccinations at 50 hospitals across the UK. Priority is given to people over 80 years of age, who live or work in a nursing home, work in the health sector and have a background illness or whose work puts them at greater risk.
No relief until spring
Although it is good news that the vaccination program can be started, the authorities caution against winning the victory early. The first part will only marginally affect the number of seriously ill and dead; the next few months will continue to be difficult. It’s not until spring that vaccines are expected to provide clear relief in health care.
