A 82-year-old Briton on Monday became the first person in the world to receive the controversial COVID-19 vaccine from AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford.
Brian Pinker, a dialysis patient who was born and raised in Oxford, received the vaccine at 7:30 am when the UK launched the latest vaccine, one that the United States has yet to approve amid doubts about errors made during testing.
“I am very pleased to receive the COVID vaccine today and very proud that it was invented in Oxford,” said Pinker, according to the United Kingdom’s National Health Service.
“Now I can really hope to celebrate my 48th wedding anniversary with my wife Shirley later this year.”
The head of nursing at Oxford University Hospital, Sam Foster, administered the injection, calling it a “royal privilege” to give “just a few hundred meters from where it was developed”.
The head of the vaccine test, Professor Andrew Pollard, was among the first group to receive the injection on Monday, calling it “a moment of incredible pride”.
The AstraZeneca / Oxford jab has been hailed for several important advantages over other vaccines. It is cheaper and can be stored and transported more easily, as it does not need to be kept in ultra-low temperatures.
However, it is unlikely to get approval in the U.S. before April, as regulators are awaiting further studies, according to Operation Warp Speed’s chief scientist.
The jab’s research team accidentally admitted underdosing during testing, which produced the best results – but raised other questions about the relatively small size and young age of those who received this dose.