The biggest vaccine campaign in the history of the United Kingdom kicked off this morning.

Margaret Keenan, 90 year old, born in Enniskillen, Northern Ireland, became the first person in the world to receive the Covid-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer/BioNTech outside of a clinical trial.

The mass vaccination programme has started this Tuesday.

Like many persons around the UK, Margaret has been self-isolating for most of 2020 and is planning on spending Christmas with her family in a very small ‘bubble’ to stay safe. She will receive a booster jab in 3 weeks to ensure she has the best chance of being protected against Covid-19. Margaret will turn 91 next week.

The UK was able deliver its first clinically approved Covid-19 vaccine less than 1 year after the first Covid-19 case was detected. This is a remarkable achievement.

Today is just the first step in the largest vaccination programme the United Kingdom has ever seen. It will take a couple of months to complete the work as more vaccine supplies become available and until then people are urged to not drop their guard.

But if we all stay alert in the next months, normal life could soon resume. Vaccines could be decisive turning point in the battle against the coronavirus.

The Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine is delivered by a simple injection in the shoulder, but there is a complex logistical challenge to deliver from the manufacturers to patients.

The vaccine needs to be stored at -70C before being warmed up. It can only be moved 4 times within that cold chain ahead of use.

The UK has already ordered 40 million doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine. This is enough to vaccinate 20 million persons since the vaccine needs to be taken twice. 

Healthcare and essential workers alongside those with the highest risk from getting Covid-19 will be prioritised.