SIR IAN McKellen has joined the thousands in the UK in receiving the new Covid-19 vaccine.
The beloved actor, best-known for his roles in The Lord of the Rings and X-Men, is 81 years old and is in the 'priority group' of people who will have the vaccine administered first.
McKellen received the fully-tested and approved Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine at Queen Mary's University Hospital in London last night, and said he feels "very lucky".
'I really hope that, as more people get vaccinated, we will move further along the path back to a more normal way of life.'
⁰Sir @IanMcKellen joins the thousands of people who have now safely received the first dose of the #CovidVaccine. https://t.co/1e3nCAUFcB pic.twitter.com/FFW6jrKqEg— NHS England and NHS Improvement (@NHSEngland) December 16, 2020
In a statement released through the NHS, McKellen said last night was a "very special day", adding "I feel euphoric. It was painless."
He urged the wider public to receive the jab when it becomes available to them, stating "anyone who has lived as long as I have is alive because they have had previous vaccinations.
"You're having it not just for yourself, but for people who you are close to."
He continued on to say that the vaccine was "painless" and "convenient", and he was honoured to meet NHS staff to say "thank you to them for how hard they've been working."
"I would have no hesitation in recommending it to anyone," he added.
I feel very lucky to have had the vaccine. I would have no hesitation in recommending it to anyone. https://t.co/gBLRR0OeJc
— Ian McKellen (@IanMcKellen) December 17, 2020
Sir Ian McKellen, and the thousands of others who have received the vaccine, will receive a second 'booster' jab 21 days after their first injection to provide a higher chance of immunity against the virus.
Last week, a 90-year-old Irish grandmother became the first person in the world to receive the new vaccine at a hospital in Coventry, where she has lived for a number of years.
Margaret Keenan 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)Margaret Keenan, originally from Enniskillen in Fermanagh, said at the time that she felt "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."
