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HomeUK News90-year-old Grandmother who got UK's first vaccine urges others to follow

90-year-old Grandmother who got UK’s first vaccine urges others to follow

90-year-old Grandmother Margaret Keenan came into hospital last Wednesday for a routine appointment. She will be discharged later today

At 6.31am the 90-year-old grandmother-of-four became the first patient in the world to receive Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccination outside of a trial.

Mrs Keenan, who lives in Coventry but is originally from Enniskillen, Northern Ireland, was given the vaccine by nurse May Parsons at Coventry’s University Hospital.

She told Sky News she thought it was a joke when the news she would get a vaccine was broken to her.

This comes after age was announced to be the single most important factor for who receives the vaccine first, and everyone older than 50 will get the Pfizer vaccine by the time the end of phase one. Residents of care homes in the country, as well as their carers will be first in the nation to receive the Pfizer vaccine against the coronavirus in the UK.

“I couldn’t believe it. I’m happy it’s happened,” she said.

“Hopefully it will help other people do as I do. [I’m] trying to do the best to get rid of the terrible thing”.

Mrs Keenan says she hasn’t been personally affected by the virus. But she’s been left “devastated” watching COVID-19 spread around the world, witnessing the impact it has had.

“This is a terrible a disease, we do want rid of it. Anything that helps is a bonus,” she added.

Surrounded by doctors, nurses and journalists this morning, softly spoken Margaret tried to make sense of the enormity of the occasion

“It hasn’t sunk in yet, just really, I don’t know what to say,” she said.

“Oh my word, at the moment I don’t know how I feel. So strange and so wonderful”.

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As an inpatient over 80 years old, Margaret was at the top of the priority list. But she knows there are people out there who are still uncertain about the vaccine’s safety.

“This is for a good cause; I’m so pleased I’ve had it done. I’d say go for it – it’s free and it’s the best thing that has ever happened. If I can do it so can you.”

Speaking about receiving the jab she said:

90-year-old Grandmother who got UK's first vaccine urges others to follow
90-year-old Grandmother Margaret Keenan

“It was fine, I wasn’t nervous at all, it was really good. I would say go for it.”

She also said being the first was “a privilege” as it would mean she could spend time with her family and friends in the New Year “after being on my own for most of the year”.

This comes after the United Kingdom has become the first country in the world so far to approve the vaccine from Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 to be used. The vaccine has been given the go-ahead by the health regulator MHRA and will be rolled out from early next week.

Next week Margaret celebrates her 91st birthday. She’ll come back to hospital in 21 days for the second dose of the vaccine, which she hailed as, “the best early birthday present I could wish for.”

“I’ll have a little rest and phone the family,” she said. “I’m going home this afternoon. And the hospital are wonderful. I’m going to miss them really – all the attention I’ve been getting.

“I’m looking forward to Christmas. I didn’t think I’d be getting home so soon. I’ll see what happens in the new year.”

It’s a birthday and a Christmas that Margaret and the rest of the world will never forget.

Eve Cooper
Eve Cooper
I've been writing articles and stories for as long as I can remember and in the past few years I've had the fortune of turning that love & passion for writing into my job :)

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