In UK, 87-year-old Indian-origin man set to be among first to get Pfizer's Covid vaccine

An 87-year-old Indian-origin man from England is set to become one of the first persons in the world to receive a vaccine against COVID-19. He is to be inoculated with the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine at a hospital in Newcastle on Tuesday.

Hari Shukla from England’s Tyne and Wear county considers it as his ‘duty’ to receive his first dose of the two-dose vaccine. UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has hailed the moment as a “huge step forward” and dubbed the day as “V-Day” or Vaccine Day in Britain.

“I’m so pleased we are hopefully coming towards the end of this pandemic and I am delighted to be doing my bit by having the vaccine, I feel it is my duty to do so and do whatever I can to help,” said Shukla.

“Having been in contact with the NHS (National Health Service), I know how hard they all work and the greatest respect for them – they have a heart of gold and I am grateful for everything they have done to keep us safe during the pandemic,” he said.

READ | Pfizer Seeks Emergency Use Authorisation For COVID-19 Vaccine In India After UK Clearance

The NHS approached Shukla based on the criteria set by the UK’s Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation for its phased vaccine rollout plan based on those who are at the highest risk of death from the deadly virus. People aged 80 and above, those working in care homes, as well as NHS workers will be first in line to receive the “life-saving jab”.

Praising the scientists at the NHS, PM Johnson said, “Today marks a huge step forward in the UK’s fight against coronavirus, as we begin delivering the vaccine to the first patients across the whole country. I am immensely proud of the scientists who developed the vaccine, members of the public who took part in trials, and the NHS who have worked tirelessly to prepare for rollout.”

The UK PM also warned that mass vaccination will take time and urged the public to remain vigilant and continue to follow the precautionary measures over the winter months ahead.

READ | Bharat Biotech Seeks Emergency Authorization Of Covaxin; CDSCO To Review Applications Soon

Biggest vaccination drive in the UK

The NHS is set to create history by undertaking the biggest immunisation campaign at 50 hospital hubs in the UK. The programme will ramp up further in the coming weeks as the first set of doses arrives from Pfizer’s manufacturing site in Belgium.

Since the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine got approval from UK’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) last week, the NHS workers have been working around the clock to manage the large-scale logistical challenge of rolling out the vaccine.

READ | MHRA Says 'no Corners Cut' To Approve Pfizer's COVID-19 Vaccine, Side Effects 'very Low'

The Pfizer/BionTech formula is an mRNA vaccine that uses a tiny fragment of genetic code from the virus to teach the body how to fight Covid-19 and build its immunity.  It is delivered in two doses, 21 days apart and has shown a strong immunity response kicking in seven days after administering the second dose.  The Pfizer vaccine needs to be stored at -70C before being defrosted and can only be moved four times within that temperature before being used.

READ | Coronavirus: First Images Of Freezers Containing Pfizer/BioNTech Vaccine For UK Emerge