An 87-year-old Indian-origin man, Hari Shukla, is set to become the first person in the UK to get a coronavirus vaccine developed by Pfizer-BioNTech. Shukla will receive the vaccine shot at a hospital in the United Kingdom (UK) on Tuesday (December 8).
"When I received a telephone call, I was very excited that I got the opportunity of joining in and taking part," Hari Shukla was quoted as saying by Reuters.
"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," Hari Shukla told PTI.
"It's a big relief because it's not an ordinary crisis," Hari Shukla said, adding, "I'm not nervous, or anything like that. I'm looking forward," he added
It is to be noted that the UK government has government that people aged 80 and over and frontline workers will be first in line to receive Pfizer vaccine.
The process to dispense Pfizer coronavirus vaccine will start in the UK on Tuesday. It is expected that about 800,000 doses would be available within the first week.
Ahead of the roll-out of Pfizer vaccine, UK PM Boris 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."
Johnson, however, asserted that mass vaccination will not be completed quickly and people must remain "clear-eyed" and continue to follow the COVID-19 lockdown rules for few more months in order to avoid the spread of the deadly viral disease.
(With inputs from agencies)
