While the United States is hoping to ramp up coronavirus vaccinations across the country through the early months of 2021, in Britain some civilians are already receiving the vaccination.
This week, a 90-year-old British woman became the first person in the world to receive the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine.
Following the vaccination, the woman told reporters, “I thought it was a joke to tell you the truth, to start with. I couldn’t believe it, you know. But I’m happy it’s happened and now I’ve done it and hopefully, it will help other people come along and do as I did.”
She added, “It was fine, it was fine. I wasn’t nervous at all. It was really good.”
A 90-year-old woman, who became the first person in the world to receive the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine shot outside of a trial, said she hoped to encourage more people to receive the jab https://t.co/20Ejh8Tngq pic.twitter.com/FhNoLO2pjT
— Reuters (@Reuters) December 8, 2020
Among those to be vaccinated early in the United Kingdom included a 91-year-old Martin Kenyon who gave an unforgettable interview to CNN.
Asked how he came to get a vaccine, Kenyon said, “I rang up Guy’s Hospital, which I know very well… and I said, ‘What’s this thing? You’re doing the vaccination?’ They said, ‘Yes,’ and then they spent various times asking me questions, about this and that, not very interesting.”
He added, “Of course I couldn’t damn well find anybody to park my car, so I was late… I went off and had a rather nasty lunch and then came back and they were ready for me.”
Mr. Kenyon continued, “No, it didn’t hurt at all. I didn’t know the needle had gone in until it had come out. It was very interesting. No, it was painless.”
Asked again about how he became among those to receive the first vaccinations, Kenyon said, “I rang up Guy’s Hospital and said ‘I’d like to be vaccinated. You’re vaccinating aren’t you?’ I’ve heard it on, seen it on the news.”
Asked how he feels about being one of the first people in the world to receive the Pfizer vaccination, Kenyon said, “I don’t feel about it all, except that I hope I’m not going to have the bloody bug now. I don’t intend to have it because I’ve got granddaughters and I want to live a long time to enjoy their lives.”
He said he has not been able to see his granddaughters, though he intends to see them at Christmas. Asked if he has told his family yet, Kenyon told the reporter, “Nobody knows. You’re the first to know.”
Kenyon should have developed immunity to the virus by January after coming back to receive the second dose at least 21 days after receiving the first dose, as the reporter noted the National Health Services guidance.
Asked about his future immunity, Kenyon said, “I don’t intend to have it. Well, there’s no point in dying now when I’ve lived this long. I don’t plan to anyway.”
Watch the video below:
this interview wins the day pic.twitter.com/HtnjnyLZwg
— Oliver Darcy (@oliverdarcy) December 8, 2020
Pfizer’s vaccine candidate is more than 90% effective in preventing COVID-19 and previously announced it would begin distribution in the United States in a pilot program beginning with the states of Rhode Island, Texas, New Mexico, and Tennessee.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration will hold an emergency use authorization hearing on Thursday for Pfizer.
