First NHS patient receives coronavirus vaccination

90-year-old Margaret Keenan became the first person in the world to receive the Pfizer coronavirus jab following its clinical approval.

Keenan was given the life-saving jab by nurse May Parsons at her local hospital in Coventry. She has been self-isolating for most of this year and is planning on having a very small family ‘bubble’ Christmas to keep safe. She will receive a booster jab in 21 days to ensure she has the best chance of being protected against the virus.

The phased vaccination programme will see patients aged 80 and above who are already attending hospital as an outpatient, and those who are being discharged home after a hospital stay, among the first to receive the life-saving jab. Care home providers are also being asked by the Department of Health and Social Care to begin booking staff in to vaccination clinics. GPs are also expected to be able to begin vaccinating care home residents.

NHS nurse May Parsons said it was a ‘huge honour’ to be the first in the country to deliver the vaccine to a patient.

Speaking at University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust, nurse May Parsons, said: “It’s a huge honour to be the first person in the country to deliver a Covid-19 jab to a patient, I’m just glad that I’m able to play a part in this historic day. The last few months have been tough for all of us working in the NHS, but now it feels like there is light at the end of the tunnel.”

Margaret Keenan said: “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. 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!”

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This story was first published in digitalhealth.net

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