COVID19 Vaccine: 90-year-old UK woman becomes a pioneer
Monitoring Desk :
The United Kingdom has become the first Western nation to begin vaccinating its citizens with a Covid-19 shot outside of clinical trials — a landmark moment in the coronavirus pandemic.
The first Briton to get the Pfizer/BioTech vaccine– 90-year-old Margaret Keenan — received the first of two doses at 6:31 a.m. local time on Tuesday at University Hospital in Coventry, less than a week after the UK became the first country to approve it.
Keenan, who turns 91 next week, said she felt “privileged” to be the first to get the 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,” she said, according to a statement released by the UK’s National Health Service (NHS).
Keenan told UK media the shot was “fine, I wasn’t nervous at all,” calling it “wonderful, really.”
“This is for a good cause so I’m so pleased I had it done. This is a terrible, terrible disease so we do want rid of it,” she added.
Keenan advised others eligible for the vaccine to take up the offer: “I would say go for it,” she said. “If I can do it, well, so can you.”
May Parsons, the nurse who administered the first jab, said she was honored to be involved in the program.
“The last few months have been tough for all of us working in the NHS, but now it feels like there is light at the end of the tunnel,” said Parsons, who is originally from the Philippines and has worked in the NHS for 24 years.
Courtesy: cnn.com
COVID19 Vaccine: 90-year-old UK woman becomes a pioneer
