UK’s first recipient of Pfizer and BioNTech’s coronavirus vaccine received her second dose of the shot on Tuesday, and is reportedly the first person outside the clinical trial to be fully vaccinated. Margaret Keenan, who received her first dose on December 8, is back at Coventry’s University Hospital to receive her second dose.
The 91-year-old, who was the first in the world to get the jab after the UK jumped the European Union to temporarily approve the vaccine, had previously called on everyone to get the vaccine ‘. “
“We were delighted to welcome Margaret Keenan back to Coventry’s University Hospital today to receive the second dose of the vaccine safely, after she became the first person in the world to receive the Pfizer COVID-19 after its clinical approval, “Professor Professor Andy Hardy, the hospital’s chief executive, said in a statement. “Our hard-working staff involved in the vaccination program have remained in touch with Margaret’s family since that day and we are delighted that Margaret has continued to recover at home after her discharge from the hospital.”
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Hardy added that it was “important that everyone comes forward to get the jab if they are invited to do so.”
The UK has imposed coronavirus-related restrictions, including travel bans and home bookings, in an effort to stifle another wave of infections as positivity figures increase in several areas. The country has also identified two additional strains of the coronavirus, including one that is more transmissible than the other.
Pfizer said the vaccine in its current form should be effective at preventing the newly identified strains, but that the “flexible” technology also allows for adjustments if needed. The vaccine, developed using mRNA technology and reportedly more than 90% effective in clinical trials, requires two doses that should be 21 days apart.
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Keenan said earlier that she felt ‘wonderful’ after her first dose of vaccination. Her first shot kicked off the country’s vaccination campaign, which has since seen more than 600,000 people get the jab.
Since its launch in the UK and several others worldwide, there have been cases of allergic reactions in a handful of recipients, including in US health workers.
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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has tentatively said that people with a history of severe reaction to any of the ingredients found in the Pfizer vaccine should remember it.