He received the shot at Oxford University Hospital.
Dialysis patient Brian Pinker was the first person to receive the Oxford/AstroZeneca vaccine.
The first person to receive the Oxford vaccine
The 82-year-old received the shot at Oxford University Hospital. Mr Pinker, who decribed himself as Oxford born, said: “I am so pleased to be getting the Covid vaccine today and really proud that it is one that was invented in Oxford.
The nurses, doctors and staff today have all been brilliant and I can now really look forward to celebrating my 48th wedding anniversary with my wife Shirley later this year.”
From Monday, 530,000 doses of the new vaccine will be available.
Jabs will be administered at 730 vaccination sites across the UK, eventually rising to over 1,000 centres, according to the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC).
The general enthusiasm for the event
Sam Foster, the chief Nursing Officer at Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, was the person who administered the first shot. Talking about the event, he said: “It was a real privilege to be able to deliver the first Oxford vaccine at the Churchill Hospital here in Oxford, just a few hundred metres from where it was developed. We look forward to vaccinating many more patients and health and care staff with the Oxford vaccine in the coming weeks”. He also added that this last point will make a huge difference to people living in the communities and also for the staff who care for them in the hospitals.
Also Matt Hancock, the Health Secretary, wanted to express his enthusiasm. He wrote a statement on Twitter in which he said: “Delighted that today we roll out the @UniofOxford/@AstraZeneca vaccine across the whole UK Flag of United Kingdom. It’s a vital step in our fight against this pandemic. This is a national mission. Thank you to everyone involved.”
Delighted that today we roll out the @UniofOxford / @AstraZeneca vaccine across the whole UK 🇬🇧
It’s a vital step in our fight against this pandemic
This is a national mission. Thank you to everyone involved. pic.twitter.com/EU3R0AJoCx
— Matt Hancock (@MattHancock) January 4, 2021
The UK has secured 100 million doses of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine as part of its contract. It is enough for most of the population.
