Pfizer Coronavirus Vaccine: British Grandmother Becomes First Person To Receive Jab

The 90-year-old grandmother became the first patient in the world to receive the Pfizer / BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine.

Margaret Keenan first received the jab at Coventry Hospital early Tuesday morning. Dozens of hospital hubs across the country are preparing to deliver millions of vaccines in the coming weeks and months.

Keenan, who is from Coventry and will turn 91 next week, said: After spending most of the year alone, spend time with family and friends in the New Year. “

A retired jeweler’s assistant, who was given a jab by a nurse May Parsons at a local hospital, added: To take it – if I can have it at 90, you can have it too. “

Jab will be administered at dozens of hospital hubs nationwide starting Tuesday – called “V-Day” by British Health Minister Matt Hancock.
Known to family and friends as Maggie, Mrs. Keenan received a jab at 6:31 am from nurse May Parsons at a local hospital in Coventry.

Sir Simon Stevens, Chief Executive Officer of NHS England, praised everyone involved in delivering the new vaccine program.

“Within a year of being diagnosed with the first case of this new disease, the NHS provided the first clinically approved Covid-19 vaccination, which is a surprising achievement,” Simon said. Sir says.

“Thanks to everyone who made this happen, the scientists and doctors who worked tirelessly, and the volunteers who took part in the exam selflessly. They achieved what normally takes years, in months. Did.

“When we are leading the introduction of the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine, my colleagues across healthcare services are naturally proud of this historic moment.

“I would also like to thank Margaret, the first patient to be vaccinated with the NHS.

“Today is just the first step in the country’s largest vaccination program ever seen. It will take months to complete the work as more vaccine supplies become available. , And until then we must be vigilant, but if we are all vigilant for the next few weeks to months, look back on this as a decisive turning point in the fight against the virus. I can.”

Like many in the country, Mrs. Keenan has been self-isolated for most of the year and is planning a very small family “bubble” Christmas to stay safe.

She is from Enniskillen, Northern Ireland and has lived in Coventry for over 60 years. She will receive a booster jab within 21 days and is most likely to be protected from the virus.

NHS nurse Mapersons said it was the first “great honor” in the country to provide the vaccine to patients.

At the University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust, she said: “I am very honored to be able to deliver the Covid-19 jab to patients for the first time in the country. I will participate in this historic day.

“The last few months have been tough for all of us working at the NHS, but now it feels like there is light at the end of the tunnel.”

Mrs. Parsons from the Philippines has been working for the NHS for the past 24 years and has been working at Coventry University Hospital and Warwickshire Hospital since 2003.

In the step-by-step vaccination program, patients over the age of 80 who are already hospitalized as outpatients and those who are discharged after admission receive a life-saving jab first.

Care home providers are also being asked by the Ministry of Health to start booking staff for vaccination clinics. The GP is also expected to be able to initiate vaccinations for residents of long-term care facilities.

Schedules not used by these groups will be used by healthcare professionals at highest risk of serious illness from Covid-19.

The director of health used hospital hubs, vaccination centers, other community locations, and general practitioner clinics and pharmacies to set out how to meet mammoth challenges.

Life-saving vaccines are usually delivered by a simple injection into the shoulder, but there are complex logistical challenges for delivery from the manufacturer to the patient. It must be stored at -70 ° C before thawing and can only be moved within its cold chain four times before use.