Margaret Keenan (90), a grandmother from Coventry, made history as she became the first individual outside of a clinical trial to be given the COVID-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech. Keenan, who hails from Enniskillen in Northern Ireland, has lived in Coventry for over six decades.
The vaccine was administered by nurse May Parsons at the University Hospital in Coventry. Keenan, who will receive a booster shot in 21 days, 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."
She will turn 91 next week. The vaccine was administered at 6.31am GMT on Tuesday.
UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock told Sky News he was "feeling quite emotional" watching Keenan get vaccinated. "It has been such a tough year for so many people and finally we have our way through it—our light at the end of the tunnel…”
Parsons, the nurse who administered the vaccine, has worked with the NHS for 24 years and is originally from the Philippines. The UK, on December 3, became the first country to authorise the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine and secured 40 million doses of the same. Healthcare and other frontline workers will be among the first to get the vaccine, the government said. The country’s monarch, Queen Elizabeth, is likely to get the vaccine in the coming weeks.
The vaccine, which is proven to be 95 per cent effective in preventing the virus, has to be stored in -70C temperature.
