Coronavirus: UK administers 1st shots of AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine

Britain on Monday took another giant step in the fight against COVID-19, ramping up its immunization program by giving the first shots in the world from the vaccine created by Oxford University and pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca.

Dialysis patient Brian Pinker, 82, was the first to get the new vaccine shot, administered by the chief nurse at Oxford University Hospital. Pinker paid tribute to the scientists who had developed the shot, saying the “vaccine means everything to me” and that he was now looking forward to celebrating his 48th wedding anniversary later this year.

Professor Andrew Pollard, the head of the Oxford Vaccine Group and chief investigator into the trial of the shot, also received the vaccine.

"This is a really critical moment. We are at the point of being overwhelmed by this disease," he told BBC TV. "I think it gives us a bit of hope, but I think we've got some tough weeks ahead."

The U.K. is in the midst of an acute outbreak, recording more than 50,000 new coronavirus infections a day over the past six days.

For more info, please go to https://globalnews.ca/news/7553356/coronavirus-astrazeneca-shots-britain/

Subscribe to Global News Channel HERE: http://bit.ly/20fcXDc
Like Global News on Facebook HERE: http://bit.ly/255GMJQ
Follow Global News on Twitter HERE: http://bit.ly/1Toz8mt
Follow Global News on Instagram HERE: https://bit.ly/2QZaZIB
#GlobalNews