Grandmother, 90, in world first as Covid vaccine rolled out
A British grandmother has become the first person to receive Pfizer's Covid-19 jab outside a clinical trial as the NHS began its mass vaccination programme across the UK.
Margaret Keenan, 90, was given the jab in Coventry at 6:31am yesterday, marking the star t of a phased NHS rollout of the vaccine to older people, health staff and care home workers.
Jabs will be administered at 70 hospital hubs across the UK from yesterday – dubbed "V-day" by UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock.
Mrs Keenan, who turns 91 next week and has a daughter, a son and four grandchildren, received the vaccine from nurse May Parsons at University Hospital in Coventry.
Known to family and friends as Maggie, Mrs 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.
"I can't thank May and the NHS staff enough who have l o o k e d a f t e r m e t r e m e n - dously, and my advice to anyone offered the vaccine is to take it – if I can have it at 90 then you can have it too."
S c o t l a n d ’s f i r s t C ov i d -19 j a b s t o o k p l a c e i n E d i n - b u r g h , w i t h t h o s e w h o will b e vaccinating others receiving their initial dose. Andrew Mencnaro wski, a clinical lead at NHS Lothian, was among the first in line to be vaccinated at the Western General Hospital.
It is one of 23 sites around S c o t l a n d t h a t w i l l a c t a s v a c c i n a t i o n c e n t r e s f o r t h e p r i o r i t y g r o u p s . A f t e r va c c i n a t o r s r e c e ive the jab, the focus will turn to residents in care homes and their carers, and other frontline health workers.
People over the age of 80 will then receive their injections, as supply allows.
H e a l t h S e c r e t a r y Je a n e Freeman said: "This is obviously a ver y welcome mile - stone in our collective fight against the pandemic and I am very grateful to all those who have worked so hard to ensure Scotland is ready to deliver these first Covid-19 vaccinations.”
The UK is the first country in the world to star t using the Pfizer-biontech vaccine.