UK ramps up inoculations with Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine

AstraZeneca's first shots have been given as of Monday morning

LONDON (AP) — Britain has taken another giant step in the fight against COVID-19, ramping up its immunization program by giving out the first shots in the world from the vaccine created by Oxford University and pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca.

Dialysis patient Brian Pinker was the first to get the new vaccine shot at Oxford University Hospital. Pinker said he was so pleased and that he can “now really look forward to celebrating my 48th wedding anniversary with my wife Shirley.”

Britain has already been giving out vaccine shots made by Pfizer and the German firm BioNTech since Dec. 8.

Officials say the U.K. has around 530,000 doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine and seeks to vaccinate 2 million people a week as soon as possible.

SEE ALSO: When is it your turn for a vaccine?