The UK took a significant leap on Monday morning, administering the first doses of AstraZeneca and the coronavirus vaccine at the University of Oxford around the world.
The first injection was for dialysis patient Brian Pinker, 82, from Oxford University Hospital, according to NHS England. Pinker said the vaccination brought peace of mind, as he hopes to celebrate his 48th wedding anniversary with his wife Shirley in February.
The vaccine will be distributed to a limited number of hospitals for “surveillance purposes”, considered standard practice, before a wider distribution to hundreds of general practitioner services later in the week.
QUICK FACTS
The news comes as the UK fights an intense period of spread of the virus amid a mutant strain, registering more than 50,000 new infections daily in the past few days.
The kick-off of the vaccination program also comes amid comments from UK officials supporting the decision to extend the period between Pfizer and the two-dose Oxford vaccination scheme to 12 weeks, as opposed to three, with the first Boris Johnson, also defending the idea.
Follow below for more updates on the coronavirus. Mobile users click here.