Margaret Keenan, 90-Year-Old Woman Who Received The First COVID-19 Vaccine In The United Kingdom

Margaret Keenan (90), the first woman to be vaccinated in the United Kingdom (Source: Wikimedia Commons)

JAKARTA - Margaret Keenan, a citizen of Great Britain, will receive a special birthday gift at the age of 91 next week. He became the first person to receive the COVID-19 vaccine outside of the clinical trial period in his country. This marks the start of the mass vaccine program in the UK.

As quoted by the BBC, Keenan got the vaccine at around 6.30 local time at the University Hospital, Coventry. He became the first person in the world to receive the Pfizer vaccine.

"I feel very honored to be the first to be vaccinated against COVID-19, this is the best early birthday gift I can hope for," said Keenan. "Finally I can spend time with my family and friends in the new year, after all this year I live alone," he added.

Vaccine delivery in the UK will prioritize people in their 80s and healthcare workers. They will receive the vaccine in 70 government-appointed hospital centers.

Residents in nursing homes will start vaccinating over the next two weeks. Meanwhile other high-risk groups will follow over the coming months. This program aims to protect the people who are most vulnerable to COVID-19.

The United Kingdom is the first country in the world to start using the Pfizer vaccine after regulators approved its use last week. The government has agreed that the vaccine will be given en masse to all people over the age of 16 years. As is well known, the British government does not require vaccination for all citizens.