The first recipient of the Pfizer and BioNTech coronavirus vaccine in the UK received its second injection dose on Tuesday, becoming the first person outside the clinical study to be fully inoculated, according to reports. Margaret Keenan, who received her first dose on December 8, returned to Coventry University Hospital to receive the second.
The 91-year-old man, who was the first in the world to receive the vaccine after the UK overtook the European Union to grant temporary vaccine approval, had previously urged “everyone” to get the vaccine “when asked to do so . “
“We are delighted to welcome Margaret Keenan back to Coventry University Hospital today to safely receive the second dose of vaccination, after she became the first person in the world to receive Pfizer COVID-19 after her clinical approval,” Professor Andy Hardy, the hospital’s chief executive, said in a statement, according to Sky News. “Our hard-working staff who were involved in the vaccination program have been in contact with Margaret’s family since that day and we are delighted that Margaret continues to recover well at home after her discharge from the hospital.”
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Hardy added that it is “important that everyone presents themselves to receive the jab when they are invited to do so”.
The UK has enacted coronavirus-related restrictions, including travel bans and requests to stay at home, in an attempt to stifle another wave of infections, as positivity rates increase in several areas. The country has also identified two additional strains of the coronavirus, including one considered more transmissible than the others.
Pfizer said that in its current form, the vaccine should be effective against preventing newly identified strains, but that “flexibile” technology will also allow adjustments to be made, if necessary. The vaccine, which was developed using mRNA technology and is considered to be more than 90% effective in clinical trials, requires two doses that must be spaced out by 21 days.
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Keenan had previously said that he felt “great” after his first dose of the vaccine. His first shot started the country’s vaccination campaign, which has since seen more than 600,000 people receive the vaccine.
Since the launch in the UK and several others around the world, there have been cases of allergic reactions in a handful of recipients, including healthcare workers in the United States.
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For now, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have said that people with a history of severe reaction to any of the ingredients found in the Pfizer vaccine should refrain from taking it.