The U.K recently announced the success rate and approval of Pfizer vaccine for the covid-19 pandemic. And the mass vaccination drive which kick-started today has already recorded a historic moment. Yep, you read that right! Margaret Keenan, a 90-year-old Britain grandmother, became the first person in the world to receive the vaccine shot outside of a trial as the nation started vaccinating its population.
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Britain Grandma Gets Pfizer Vaccine A Week Before She Turns 91
Keenan received the vaccine at a local hospital in Coventry, central England, right a week before she turns 91. On this, Keenan said to a leading channel,
“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.”
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Kennan was wearing a surgical mask along with a blue t-shirt and cardigan while she receives the shot from nurse May Parsons. People working in the health sector of Britain said that the last few months have been extremely tough, but this felt like there’s some hope left. Well, the world is finally getting a vaccine and we can’t be anything but grateful for this. For the vaccine, it comes as a ray of hope amid the gloom of the global pandemic that killed nearly 1.5 million people globally and upended everyday life.
British Health Secretary Matt Hancock and Stephen Powis, medical director for NHS England, said they both found it very emotional watching the vaccine programme rollout.
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The Vaccine Is 95% Effective
Britain’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency claim that the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is 95% effective in preventing illness, in record time. While the most significant powers of the world have been racing for a vaccine for months, it is the U.K. who made the checkmate. The vaccine will finally allow the country to reclaim our lives and get the economy moving again.
Britain To Receive 800,000 Doses Of The Vaccine
Britain said it would start vaccinating the vulnerable from next week after it receives 800,000 doses from Pfizer’s manufacturing centre in Belgium. However, the speed of the rollout depends on how fast Pfizer can manufacture and deliver the vaccine. Every individual will need two shots to gain immunity. Britain has ordered 40 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine enough for just under a third of the population.