UK starts COVID-19 vaccinations
Margaret Keenan – who will turn 91 next week - became the first person to receive the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine at 6.31am at University College Hospital in Coventry this morning. The UK is the first country to approve Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine, giving the candidate the green light last week, and is now rolling out the first batch of 800,000 doses manufactured by BioNTech in Belgium. More doses are being delivered next week.
Margaret Keenan is a former jewellery shop assistant who retired four years ago. She has a daughter, a son and four grandchildren and has been self-isolating for most of this year. She described the vaccine as the ‘best early birthday present I could wish for’. She will receive a second dose of the two-dose vaccine in 21 days.
The vaccine was delivered by nurse May Parsons.
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
The second person to receive the jab this morning was 81-year-old William Shakespeare from Warwickshire.
The vaccine is being delivered by the National Health Service (NHS), who is contacting the most vulnerable people for the first doses. The top priority for vaccination this year will be residents in care homes for older adults and their carers; and people aged 80+ and frontline health and social care workers.
Patients aged 80+ who are already attending hospital as an outpatient – or those who are being discharged home after a hospital stay – are among those first to receive the vaccine. This is because the first doses of the vaccine are being delivered to 50 hospital hubs across the country; in set packs of 975 doses.
Any appointments not used for the above groups will be given to healthcare workers.
While the first vaccination was delivered in Coventy, it is not the only hospital to start delivering the jab this morning: with hospital trusts around the country celebrating their first vaccinations.
We’re honoured to be giving the first #CovidVaccine in mid and south Essex to war veteran Frederick Benton.#COVID19#Basildon#Essex#Proudpic.twitter.com/WcCRv14rFT
— Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust (@MSEHospitals) December 8, 2020
George Dyer is making history as one of the first people in London to get the COVID-19 vaccine here at Croydon Health Services #teamcroydonpic.twitter.com/yp5uhv7tqr
— Croydon Health Services NHS Trust (@croydonhealth) December 8, 2020
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 @NHSEnglandhttps://t.co/X6ZHIRjwhX
— Newcastle Hospitals (@NewcastleHosps) December 8, 2020
Second patient to get the COVID jab at University Hospital Coventry - would you believe it....William Shakespeare from Warwickshire pic.twitter.com/y0LzxgbJ9w
— Hugh Pym (@BBCHughPym) December 8, 2020
This lunchtime Sylvia Harris, 80-yr-old ward housekeeper, was the first of our colleagues to be vaccinated. Sylvia was 26 when she first joined LTHT. Currently shielding at home, she said; “I miss all the people I work with. I’m so glad I’ve got it done.” #CovidVaccinepic.twitter.com/I3pR6qjllA
— Leeds Teaching Hospitals (@LeedsHospitals) December 8, 2020
Salford Royal has vaccinated the first patient in Greater Manchester today – Salford Royal volunteer 86 year old Ted Jones.
— Northern Care Alliance NHS Group (NCA) (@NCAlliance_NHS) December 8, 2020
Read our press release here: https://t.co/dunFIdvMby#SRFT#NHS#COVID19Vaccine#CovidVaccine#COVID19pic.twitter.com/0pUNdgaTLG
“I’m excited to be first! I hope if people see me being vaccinated, it will encourage them to have it too.”
— Royal Free London (@RoyalFreeNHS) December 8, 2020
80-year-old Josephine Faleye is one of the first people in the world to receive the #COVID19vaccine - and the first at the Royal Free London pic.twitter.com/qGzYU2tkkM
One of the very first in our vaccination clinic was Bidge Garton, a volunteer at the Trust for over 35 years. We're proud to be able to administer the vaccine to Bidge today and many more patients over the coming days and weeks. #CovidVaccine#TeamBSUHpic.twitter.com/IORAZfbTUZ
— BSUH NHS (@BSUH_NHS) December 8, 2020
