British grandma is first in world to get Pfizer vaccine

Margaret Keenan, a 90-year-old grandmother, on Tuesday became the first person in the world to receive the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine shot outside of a trial as Britain began vaccinating its population.

Keenan received the vaccine at her local hospital in Coventry, central England, on Tuesday morning at 0631 GMT, a week before she turns 91, reports Reuters. 

Britain began rolling out the Covid-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech on Tuesday, the first Western country to start vaccinating its general population in what was hailed as a decisive watershed in defeating the coronavirus.

"I feel so privileged to be the first person vaccinated against Covid-19," said Keenan.

"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."

Video footage shows her wearing a medical mask along with a blue t-shirt and cardigan while she receives the shot from nurse May Parsons.

Parsons said the last few months had been tough on everyone but it felt like there was now light at the end of the tunnel.

Britain is the worst-hit European country from Covid-19, with over 61,000 deaths, but Prime Minister Boris Johnson hopes to turn the tide against the disease by rolling out the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine before the United States or European Union.

The mass inoculation will fuel hope that the world may be turning a corner in the fight against a pandemic that has crushed economies and killed more than 1.5 million, although ultra-cold storage and tricky logistics will limit its use for now.

Who is Margaret Keenan? 

Margaret Keenan, originally from Enniskillen in Northern Ireland, has been living in Coventry in the West Midlands for more than 60 years. 

The 90-year-old, known to friends and family as Maggie, is an early riser.  She has a daughter, a son, and four grandchildren.

A former jewelry shop assistant, Keenan retired four years ago. 

Keenan said she was looking forward to a 'little rest' before she was due to be discharged, as early as Wednesday, reports Daily Mail. 

She is now planning a small family gathering for Christmas and her birthday next week, as she will be 91 next week. 

Earlier, talking to the PA news agency while waiting for her injection from nurse May Parsons, she quipped she was hoping for a trip to "Barbados".

"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," said the grandma.