LONDON — The U.K. is rolling out the first coronavirus vaccines to the public on Tuesday, making it one of the first countries in the world to do so.
Member of the public Margaret Keenan, a 90 year-old grandmother, made history as she became the first person in the world to receive the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine outside of trial conditions. The jab was approved by the U.K. drug regulator last week.
Now, the vaccine will be given to front-line health workers, care home workers and those aged over 80, before it is given more widely among the U.K. population.
On the eve of the vaccine being rolled out, U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said it was a "huge step forward" in the fight against the pandemic. It will be the country's biggest vaccination drive ever.
Johnson's sentiment was echoed by NHS England's Chief Executive Simon Stevens, who said on Monday that it was a "decisive turning point in the battle against coronavirus."
British newspapers, meanwhile, hailed it "V Day" and "Vaxit" (a play on "Brexit" — the other big news in the U.K. this week).