A UK grandmother has become the first person in the world to be given the Pfizer Covid-19 jab as part of a mass vaccination programme.

The biggest vaccine campaign in NHS history kicked off this morning, as 90-year-old grandmother Margaret Keenan became the first person in the world to receive the Pfizer Covid-19 jab following its clinical approval.

At 6.31AM early riser Margaret, known to friends and family as Maggie, was given the life-saving jab by nurse May Parsons at University Hospital, Coventry.

Maggie, who turns 91 next week, is a former jewellery shop assistant who only retired four years ago. She has a daughter, a son and four grandchildren and is looking forward to being able to go out again once she receives the top up dose.

Margaret said: œI 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.

œI can™t thank May and the NHS staff enough who have looked after me tremendously, 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!

NHS England chief executive Sir Simon Stevens praised all those involved in delivering the new vaccine programme.

œLess than a year after the first case of this new disease was diagnosed, the NHS has now delivered the first clinically approved Covid-19 vaccination “ that is a remarkable achievement, Stevens said.

œA heartfelt thank you goes to everyone who has made this a reality “ the scientists and doctors who worked tirelessly, and the volunteers who selflessly took part in the trials. They have achieved in months what normally takes years.

"My colleagues across the health service are rightly proud of this historic moment as we lead in deploying the PfizerBioNTech vaccine.

œI also want to thank Margaret, our first patient to receive the vaccine on the NHS."

 

PathLAKE is hosted by University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust. We are very proud of our dedicated colleagues who have risen to the challenge of delivering the first COVID-19 vaccine outside of clinical trials. 

For more on this story visit:

https://www.uhcw.nhs.uk/news/landmark-moment-as-first-nhs-patient-receives-covid-19-vaccination-at-uhcw/  

or  https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-55227325