The United Kingdom stated vaccinating citizens with the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine today, the first country in the world to do so.
The addition of the AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine comes after the nation granted approval on December 30.
The first person to receive a dose was Brian Pinker, 82, who received the jab this morning.
After receiving the shot, Pinker, who is vulnerable due to his age and receiving dialysis treatment, said “I’m so please to be getting the (COVID-19) vaccine today, according to a tweet from the National Health Service.
He continued, “The vaccine means everything to me, to my mind it is the only way to get back to normal life.”
The newly-approved vaccine raises hopes in the COVID-19 fight for many across the world as it is easier to store and transport, making delivery better outside of hospital settings.
The United Kingdom has also approved the two-dose Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine which is already being given to people as part of its immunization strategy.
