Originally from Enniskillen, Northern Ireland, she has lived in Coventry for over sixty years. Like many around the country, Maggie has been self-isolating for most of this year and is planning on having a very small family ‘bubble’ Christmas to keep safe. But if we all stay vigilant in the weeks and months ahead, we will be able to look back at this as a decisive turning point in the battle against the virus.” It will take some months to complete the work as more vaccine supplies become available and until then we must not drop our guard. “Today is just the first step in the largest vaccination programme this country has ever seen.

“I also want to thank Margaret, our first patient to receive the vaccine on the NHS. “My colleagues across the health service are rightly proud of this historic moment as we lead in deploying the PfizerBioNTech vaccine. They have achieved in months what normally takes years. “Less than a year after the first case of this new disease was diagnosed, the NHS has now delivered the first clinically approved COVID-19 vaccination – that is a remarkable achievement,” Stevens said: “A heartfelt thank you goes to everyone who has made this a reality – the scientists and doctors who worked tirelessly, and the volunteers who selflessly took part in the trials. NHS England chief executive Sir Simon Stevens praised all those involved in delivering the new vaccine programme. “I can’t thank May and the NHS staff enough who have looked after me tremendously, and my advice to anyone offered the vaccine is to take it – if I can have it at 90 then you can have it too!” Margaret said: “I feel so privileged to be the first person vaccinated against COVID-19, 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.” She has a daughter, a son and four grandchildren and is looking forward to being able to go out again once she receives the top up dose.

Maggie, who turns 91 next week, is a former jewellery shop assistant who only retired four years ago. The biggest vaccine campaign in NHS history kicked off this morning, as 90-year-old grandmother Margaret Keenan became the first person in the world to receive the Pfizer COVID-19 jab following its clinical approval.Īt 6.31am early riser Margaret, known to friends and family as Maggie, was given the life-saving jab by nurse May Parsons at her local hospital in Coventry.

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