Michael Tibbs, 99, becomes first person to receive Covid jab at Queen Alexandra Hospital in Portsmouth

The first person in the region to receive the potentially pandemic changing jab was 99-year-old Michael Tibbs.

Arriving at the hospital with his son Philip, Michael firstly had his temperature taken to ensure he was fit to receive the vaccine. After being talked through the process by QA’s chief nurse, Liz Rix, Michael was given the potentially life saving jab in the top of his left arm before enjoying a well earned cup of tea with Philip.

After receiving the vaccine Michael said: ‘It's absolutely wonderful, I'm very lucky really. I hope everyone else is able to have it as it's really no problem at all. We are so fortunate to be in this country with its National Health Service. It really is excellent.’

He also said he was ‘looking forward to spending time with his grandchildren and his great grandchildren’.

A team of nurses at the hospital are in place to carry out further vaccinations across the course of the day after the Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust was chosen as one of 50 NHS trusts to deliver the Pfizer vaccine.

QA will initially be vaccinating patients aged 80 and above who are already attending hospital as an outpatient and those who are being discharged home after a hospital stay. NHS staff at the hospital who are at a ‘higher risk’ will also be receiving the jab, including those responsible for administering the vaccine.

Speaking after the arrival of the vaccine Mark Cubbon, chief executive at the trust, said: ‘As a trust we are proud to be named as one of the first hospital hubs to begin vaccinating care home workers, those aged over 80 years and health and social care workers.

‘This vaccine plays an important role in our battle against Covid-19 and we are delighted to be involved in the delivery of it.’

The first person in the UK to receive the vaccine was Margaret Keenan, who turns 91 next week.

She was given the much heralded jab at 6.31am this morning (December 8) at University Hospital, Coventry. The second person to receive the jab was 81-year-old William Shakespeare

Speaking after receiving the jab, Margaret said: ‘I feel so privileged to be the first person vaccinated against Covid-19. It's the best early birthday present I could wish for because it means I can finally look forward to spending time with my family and friends in the new year after being on my own for most of the year.

‘I can't thank the NHS staff enough who have looked after me tremendously, and my advice to anyone offered the vaccine is to take it - if I can have it at 90 then you can have it too.’

SEE ALSO: Hampshire headteachers call for priority Covid vaccination status to help schools remain open

After seeing footage of the first vaccines being administered the health secretary Matt Hancock said: ‘I am absolutely thrilled and delighted to see people get their jabs but I’m also really determined that as a country we’ve got to stick together and stick by the rules while we get through these final months.’

An initial 800,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine have been secured to be administered in the coming weeks with 40 million ordered in total – enough to immunise 20 million people.

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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