90-year-old Coventry grandmother Margaret Keenan becomes first patient in the world to receive Covid-19 vaccine - The Coventry Observer

90-year-old Coventry grandmother Margaret Keenan becomes first patient in the world to receive Covid-19 vaccine

Coventry Editorial 8th Dec, 2020 Updated: 9th Dec, 2020   0

A 90-YEAR-OLD Coventry grandmother became the first person in the world this morning to receive the PfizerBioNTech Covid-19 vaccine outside of a trial.

At 6.31am Margaret Keenan, known to friends and family as Maggie, was given the life-saving jab by nurse May Parsons at University Hospital, Coventry.

Maggie, who turns 91 next week, 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.

“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.”




The former jewellery shop assistant, who only retired four years ago has a daughter, a son and four grandchildren, is looking forward to being able to go out again once she receives the top up dose.

NHS England chief executive Sir Simon Stevens praised all those involved in delivering the new vaccine programme.


“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.”

He gave heartfelt thanks to everyone who made it possible – from the scientists and doctors who worked tirelessly and the volunteers who selflessly took part in the trials.

“They have achieved in months what normally takes years.

“My colleagues across the health service are rightly proud of this historic moment as we lead in deploying the PfizerBioNTech vaccine.

“I also want to thank Margaret, our first patient to receive the vaccine on the NHS.”

He said ‘today was just the first step in the largest vaccination programme the country had ever seen’.

“It will take some months to complete the work as more vaccine supplies become available and until then we must not drop our guard.

“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.”

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.

Originally from Enniskillen, Northern Ireland, Maggie has lived in Coventry for over 60 years. She will receive a booster jab in 21 days to ensure she has the best chance of being protected against the virus.

Speaking at University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust, nurse May said: “It’s a huge honour to be the first person in the country to deliver a Covid-19 jab to a patient, I’m just glad that I’m able to play a part in this historic day.

“The last few months have been tough for all of us working in the NHS, but now it feels like there is light at the end of the tunnel.”

May, originally from the Philippines, has worked in the NHS for the last 24 years and been at University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire since 2003.

The family of Margaret said: “We are tremendously proud of our mum and granny for stepping forward to receive the first Covid vaccine.

“The interest and well wishes we have received today as a family have been overwhelming.

“We would like to thank May Parsons and the whole team at the hospital for the care they have provided in recent days and of course to everyone involved in developing the lifesaving jab that our mum and granny was given this morning.”

The phased vaccination programme will see patients aged 80 and above who are already attending hospital as an outpatient, and those who are being discharged home after a hospital stay, among the first to receive the life-saving jab.

Care home providers are also being asked by the Department of Health and Social Care to begin booking staff in to vaccination clinics. GPs are also expected to be able to begin vaccinating care home residents.

Any appointments not used for these groups will be used for healthcare workers who are at highest risk of serious illness from Covid-19.

Health chiefs have set out how they will deliver the mammoth task ahead, using hospital hubs, vaccination centres and other community locations as well as GP practices and pharmacies.

The life-saving vaccine is typically delivered by a simple injection in the shoulder but there is a complex logistical challenge to deliver from the manufacturers to patients.

The logistics have posed a challenge though – it needs to be stored at -70C before being thawed out and can only be moved four times within that cold chain ahead of use.

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