British Grandma Is First In World To Get Pfizer’s COVID-19 Vaccine Outside Trial

London: Margaret Keenan, a 90-year-old grandmother from the United Kingdom, has become the first person in the world to receive Pfizer and BioNTech’s vaccine against the novel coronavirus outside of a trial following its rapid clinical approval from the government. An early riser, Ms. Keenan received the vaccine shot at her local hospital in Coventry, central England, on Tuesday (December 8) morning at 0631 GMT (Greenwich Mean Time Zone), a week before she turns 91.

Also Read: India Speeding Up Review Of Pfizer, AstraZeneca COVID-19 Vaccines: Government Official

Britain began rolling out the COVID-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech on Tuesday. It has become the first Western country to start vaccinating its general population in what was hailed as a decisive watershed in defeating the coronavirus pandemic.

The mass inoculation will fuel hope that the world may be turning a corner in the fight against a pandemic that has crushed economies and killed more than 1.5 million people globally, although the ultra-cold storage and tricky logistics will limit its use for now in many parts of the world.

Ms. Keenan said that she feels privileged to be the first person vaccinated against COVID-19. She said,

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.

Also Read: India Largest Buyer Of COVID-19 Vaccine With 1.6 Billion Doses, Experts Say This Could Cover 60 Per Cent Population

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

NDTV – Dettol Banega Swasth India campaign is an extension of the five-year-old Banega Swachh India initiative helmed by Campaign Ambassador Amitabh Bachchan. It aims to spread awareness about critical health issues facing the country. In wake of the current COVID-19 pandemic, the need for WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) is reaffirmed as handwashing is one of the ways to prevent Coronavirus infection and other diseases. The campaign highlights the importance of nutrition and healthcare for women and children to prevent maternal and child mortality, fight malnutrition, stunting, wasting, anaemia and disease prevention through vaccines. Importance of programmes like Public Distribution System (PDS), Mid-day Meal Scheme, POSHAN Abhiyan and the role of Aganwadis and ASHA workers are also covered. Only a Swachh or clean India where toilets are used and open defecation free (ODF) status achieved as part of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2014, can eradicate diseases like diahorrea and become a Swasth or healthy India. The campaign will continue to cover issues like air pollution, waste management, plastic ban, manual scavenging and sanitation workers and menstrual hygiene.