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The very first coronavirus vaccine was administered in the United Kingdom kicking off a global effort to put an end to a pandemic that has killed 1.5 million people.
Margaret Keenan, a ninety-year-old retired shop clerk from Northern Ireland, was first in line at University Hospital Coventry to receive the vaccine that was approved by British regulators just last week.
“I feel so privileged to be the first person vaccinated against COVID-19,” said Keenan after receiving the shot. “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.”
While this is good news for the nation it could take several months for the vaccine campaign to get into full swing which means more restrictions and a suffering economy.
Stephen Powis, medical director for the National Health Service in England said, “This really feels like the beginning of the end. It’s been a really dreadful year, 2020- all those things that we are so used to, meeting friends and family, going to the cinema, have been disrupted. We can get those back. Not tomorrow. Not next week. Not next month. But in the months to come.”
Meanwhile, in Russia, officials began distributing the Sputnik V vaccine and China also began giving out its own version of the shot to its citizens. Neither country’s vaccine finished the late-stage trials that American scientists consider essential for providing a safe and effective vaccine.
The U.K. is the very first Western country to deliver an independently tested and reviewed vaccine to the public. The COVID-19 shot was developed by Pfizer working along with Germany’s BioNTech. The United States and Union regulators are expected to approve it before the end of the year.
