First Covid-19 Vaccines Administered in U.K. to Elderly, Health Care Workers

The U.K.’s National Health Service launched what it has called the biggest immunization campaign in its history, starting Covid vaccinations across the country.

People over 80 are at the front of the line for the shot made by Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE on Tuesday, with tens of thousands expected to get vaccinated in the coming days. The U.K. is the first western nation to begin its program, having approved the jab last week.

Margaret Keenan was the first person to get the vaccine at about 6:30 a.m., according to a statement. Receiving a shot at a hospital in Coventry was “the best early birthday present I could wish for,” said Keenan, who’s due to turn 91 next week, because it meant she’d be able to spend time with her family and friends in the new year after being on her own for most of 2020.

“At the moment I don’t know how I feel -- just so strange and wonderful, really,” she told reporters. “This is for a good cause, so I’m so pleased to have it done.”

Prime Minister Boris Johnson hailed a “huge step forward” in the fight against the coronavirus, which has infected more than 1.7 million people and killed more than 61,000 people in Britain. The U.K.’s speedy clearance of the vaccine has drawn criticism from experts in the U.S. and Europe, though domestic regulators say they’ve put safety first.

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