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* 90-year-old grandmother gets Pfizer vaccine
* Britain rolls out COVID vaccine, first in the West
* 'I feel so privileged' says first vaccine recipient
(Adds details, UK context)
By Kate Holton
LONDON, Dec 8 (Reuters) - Margaret Keenan, a 90-year-old
grandmother, on Tuesday became the first person in the world to
receive the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine shot outside of a
trial as Britain began vaccinating its population.
An early riser, Keenan received the vaccine at her local
hospital in Coventry, central England, on Tuesday morning at
0631 GMT, a week before she turns 91.
Britain began rolling out the COVID-19 vaccine developed by
Pfizer and BioNTech on Tuesday, the first Western country to
start vaccinating its general population in what was hailed as a
decisive watershed in defeating the coronavirus.
"I feel so privileged to be the first person vaccinated
against Covid-19," said Keenan, as she received the jab from a
nurse originally from the Philippines in front of a photographer
and TV crew.
"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."
Keenan, known as Maggie to her friends, is a former
jewellery shop assistant who only retired four years ago. She
has a daughter, a son and four grandchildren.
Video footage shows her wearing a medical mask along with a
blue t-shirt and cardigan while she receives the shot from nurse
May Parsons.
Parsons, who has worked in Britain's National Health Service
for 24 years, said the last few months had been tough on
everyone but it felt like there was now light at the end of the
tunnel.
Britain is the worst-hit European country from COVID-19,
with over 61,000 deaths, but Prime Minister Boris Johnson hopes
to turn the tide against the disease by rolling out the
Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine before the United States or European
Union.
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, although
ultra-cold storage and tricky logistics will limit its use for
now.
British Health Secretary Matt Hancock and Stephen Powis,
medical director for NHS England, said they both found it very
emotional watching the vaccine programme roll out.
The BBC also carried an interview with another elderly lady
who will receive the vaccine today, very upset after she lost
her husband from COVID-19 earlier in the year.
Britain has ordered 40 million doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech
shot. As each person requires two doses, that is enough to
vaccinate 20 million people in the country of 67 million.
About 800,000 doses are expected to be available within the
first week, with care home residents and carers, the over 80s
and some health service workers the top priority to get them.
(Reporting by Kate Holton, editing by Estelle Shirbon/Guy
Faulconbridge)
