Milton Keynes couple among first patients in England to receive new Covid vaccine

Arthur Simper, who is 86, and his wife Barbara, 82, were invited to the new vaccination hub at MK hospital and were each given a dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine.

"We;re looking forward to getting back to the new normal," said Barbara afterwards.

The couple will receive a second dose in three weeks' time and are looking forward to long-awaited hugs with their two sons, three grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Both agreed they would much rather have the vaccine than contract Covid-19 itself,

The hospital also vaccinated its first staff member, its blood bank manager Jasmine, who has worked at the trust for 21 years and is the blood bank manager.

MK hospital is one of 50 vaccination hubs across the UK and took delivery of the precious vials over the weekend. Staff worked extra hours to set up a vaccination hub and make lists of who would receive the jabs first.,

Hospital CEO Professor Joe Harrison said: “We are delighted to be one of the first places in the UK to receive and administer the vaccine. It represents a momentous step in the UK’s response to the coronavirus."

But he reminded people that the grim battle against Covid still continues for the hospital:. “As we vaccinate the first patients in the UK against Covid-19 on one part of our hospital site, we care for those with Covid-19 in several of our wards and intensive care unit.

He said the first jabs were "good news" but were just the start of a long vaccination programme.

" I would urge the public to keep following government guidance and the principles of Hands, Face, Space to continue to protect themselves and the community against the spread of the virus."

The local hub will focus on vaccinating local residents who are aged 80 or over and care home workers first, as well as NHS staff assessed as being at highest risk of serious illness from the virus.

All those who are eligible will be contacted to arrange an appointment.

"Please do not contact the hospital to try and arrange an appointment until they have contacted you," said a spokesman for the programme,

Everybody receiving the jab will be given an appointment for a second dose in three weeks’ time.

Nationally, GP surgeries are being put on standby to offer the vaccinations from from December 14. But rather than run clinics in each different surgery, groups of local doctors will operate more than 1,000 vaccination centres across England, the government has said.

.It is believed mass vaccination sessions at venues such as MK Stadium will not take place until next year.

In total, the UK has ordered 40 million doses of the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine — enough to vaccinate 20 million people from a population of 67 million.

The liquid has highly complicated storage requirements, needing to be kept at minus 70 degrees Celsius.