UK Begins Covid-19 Vaccination Drive 12 Months After Pandemic Began In China; Here's What The First Recipient Has To Say

Soon after Coronavirus reached one year since it was first spotted in China's Wuhan, UK became the first country in the world to begin the inoculation drive of Pfizer's Covid-19 Vaccine. Here are details about the same and what a 90-year-old woman revealed about her experience of being the first recipient.

Representative Image

London: Soon after the Coronavirus pandemic reached one year since its detection in China's Wuhan province, the United Kingdom on Tuesday became the first western country to begin the vaccination drive against the infection.  As per reports, around 50 hospitals in the country's state-run National Health Service (NHS) begin administering the Covid-19 vaccine to individuals over 80 of age that are either hospitalized or have outpatient appointments scheduled. Additionally, some health and care staff have also received the vaccine. With this drive, the most vulnerable people will be prioritised so that they are able to return to normal.

First Person In UK To Receive Covid-19 Vaccine Shot

The first person in the UK to receive the shot is a 90-year-old woman named Margaret Keenan who got the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine as the mass vaccination programme began. She was injected at 6.31 GMT - the first of 800,000 doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine that the UK will be receiving in the coming weeks and as many as four million more are expected to arrive by the end of December. According to the BBC, Keenan who will turn 91 next week, said that it was the "best early birthday present". "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 added.

Govt's Response & Pfizer Vaccine's Journey Ahead

The UK became the first country in the world to begin using the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine after it was given the emergency use authorisation last week. Health Secretary Matt Hancock told BBC Breakfast there is a "long march ahead of us but this marks the way out". "This virus is deadly. We've got to stick by the rules," he said. UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson had thanked the National Health Service (NHS) and said "all of the scientists who worked so hard to develop this vaccine", the volunteers and "everyone who has been following the rules to protect others. We will beat this together." The vaccination has bot been made compulsory in the UK. Meanwhile, Pfizer-BioNTech's vaccine is awaiting approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). While official sources revealed that Pfizer India has also approached Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) for emergency use authorisation. Based on current reports, Pfizer's and BioNTech's manufacturing network can supply up to 50 million vaccine doses in 2020 globally and up to 1.3 billion doses by the end of 2021 -  depending upon manufacturing capacity and regulatory approvals. Pfizer revealed that it has an established infrastructure to supply vaccine doses worldwide and it includes distribution hubs that can store them for up to six months, even though the demand for it will ensure the wait will not be so long. (With Agency Inputs) WATCH | Bharat Biotech seeks emergency use approval for Covaxin