1st dose of COVID vaccine outside of clinical trial given in UK
History made Tuesday as a 90 year old British woman was first recipient of the vaccine
LONDON (KLKN) — The British took a big first step in the global vaccine race that is sure to only pick up momentum from here, giving the first doses of the highly-touted COVID-19 vaccine.
Margaret Keene received the first vaccine dose. She is a 90-year woman on the brink of turning 91. Maggie, as she is known to her friends and family, is in a hospital in Coventry. She is a mother and grandmother who retired just four years ago.
Courtesy: NHS England/Twitter
“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,” Maggie said. “I 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 said, “Less 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. A 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.’
“Today is just the first step in the largest vaccination program this country has ever seen. It will take some months to complete the work as more vaccine supplies become available and until then we must not drop our guard. But if we all stay vigilant in the weeks and months ahead, we will be able to look back at this as a decisive turning point in the battle against the virus.”
The vaccine comes in a two-part series, given three weeks apart. Those most at risk for COVID will be the first to get it in the UK.
The COVID vaccine could be approved in the US by the FDA as early as the end of this week.
While this is all a positive step forward, based on supplies, distribution, and delicate storage of the vaccine, the average non-essential, not at-risk person would be looking at a vaccine opportunity probably early to mid-2021 based on the latest national and state estimates which are subject to change.
