MARGARET KEENAN was the first person to be given a Covid jab in the UK.
But who is she, why was she selected first and where is she now?
1
Who is Margaret Keenan?
Margaret Keenan became the first patient in the world to receive the Pfizer coronavirus jab following its clinical approval as the NHS launched its vaccine campaign on December 8, 2020.
Margaret made history just days before her 91st birthday.
She is a retired jewellery assistant from Coventry.
She has a daughter, a son, and four grandchildren.
Originally from Enniskillen, Northern Ireland, she has lived in Coventry in the West Midlands for more than 60 years.
She received her second dose on December 29, 2020.
Ten months after becoming the world’s first Covid vaccine patient she was given her booster on September 24, 2021.
The gran had her third shot at University Hospital in Coventry, West Mids – alongside the nurse who gave her the first one, May Parsons.
Why was she the first person to get Covid vaccine in the UK?
Around 50 hospitals in the NHS started administering the new coronavirus vaccine to people over 80 in 2020, who were either hospitalised or had outpatient appointments scheduled, along with nursing home workers.
Margaret met these requirements and received the shot at University Hospital Coventry at 6.31am.
She said: “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 said she felt extremely “privileged to be the first person vaccinated against Covid-19”.
What has Margaret Keenan said on getting the Covid vaccine?
The mother-of-two, who has four grandchildren, said she was “delighted” to get her now booster before winter.
She said: “I’m happier that I had the jab. I’m happy now that I can be free, it’s like the good old times.
“It was great to have May here, we have become a double act! It was such big news all around the world.
“Go and get the jab, it will save lives. I don’t really know what stops people from having it, because it’s so quick. Do go and get your vaccination.”
