THE FIRST person in the world to receive the fully-tested and approved coronavirus vaccine has left hospital in good spirits.
90-year-old Irish grandmother Margaret Keenan, originally from Enniskillen in County Fermanagh, now lives in Coventry, England.
She made headlines earlier this week when she became the first person in the world to receive the Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine, which is currently being rolled out across the United Kingdom.
Now Ms Keenan, who turns 91 next week, has now left University Hospital Coventry & Warwickshire holding hands with her grandson Conor and daughter Sue, and says she feels great.
Margaret Keenan, 90, the first patient in the United Kingdom to receive the Pfizer/BioNtech covid-19 vaccine, leaves University Hospital Coventry & Warwickshire with grandson Conor (L) and daughter Sue (R), the day after receiving the first of two doses of the vaccine (Photo by Jonny Weeks/The Guardian - Pool/Getty Images)"Yesterday was a massive day for me personally and for the rest of the world as we all look to get back to some sort of normality," Ms Keenan said in a statement released by NHS England.
"It has all been such a whirlwind and everything hasn’t really sunk in yet. I feel great and I’m so pleased to be able to go home and to spend some quality time with my family."
Margaret Keenan is hugged by her daughter Sue after leaving University Hospital Coventry, in Coventry on December 9, 2020, a day after receiving the vaccine (Photo by Jonny Weeks / POOL / AFP) (Photo by JONNY WEEKS/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)She added: "I would like to say thank you to the hospital and its staff for the care and support shown to me during my stay – they have been truly amazing."
She thanked people across the world for their positive comments and support after she made history by becoming the first person in the world to receive the vaccine, and urged "everybody to get their vaccine as and when they are asked to do so."
Margaret Keenan, 90, the first patient in the United Kingdom to receive the Pfizer/BioNtech covid-19 vaccine, leaves University Hospital Coventry & Warwickshire with grandson Conor (L) and daughter Sue (R) (Photo by Jonny Weeks/The Guardian - Pool/Getty Images)The Irish-born grandmother had described the vaccination as “the best early birthday present” as it would allow her to spend time with her children and grandchildren in the new year.
