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08-12-2020
GENEVA/LONDON: A World Health Organization (WHO) official said Tuesday that only public health measures, not vaccines, can prevent a new surge of COVID-19 cases as the first vaccines are administered in Britain.
“Vaccines are a great tool, they will be very helpful, but the effect of the vaccine in providing some kind of immune barrier is still far off,” said WHO spokeswoman, Margaret Harris in response to a question at a Geneva briefing about whether the vaccines would come in time to prevent a third wave of cases in Europe.
“The things that must be done to prevent an increase, an uptick, a surge or whatever you want to call it are the public health measures,” she added.
On the other hand a 90-year-old woman has become the first patient in the world to receive the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine after its approval in the UK, where the NHS has launched its biggest vaccine campaign.
Margaret Keenan received the jab at about 6.45am in Coventry, marking the start of a historic mass vaccination program.
The vaccines will be administered at 50 hospital hubs around the country, with patients aged 80 and over who are either already attending hospital as an outpatient or are being discharged home after a hospital stay, being first in line.
Keenan, known as Maggie, received the injection from the nurse May Parsons at University hospital and said it was a “privilege”.
The former jewellery shop assistant who retired four years ago turns 91 next week.
“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,” said Keenan, who has a daughter, a son and four grandchildren.
She is originally from Enniskillen, Northern Ireland, but has lived in Coventry for more than 60 years. “I can’t thank May and 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,” she said.
Parsons said it was a “huge honour” to be the first in the country to deliver the vaccine to a patient.
“I’m just glad that I’m able to play a part in this historic day. The last few months have been tough for all of us working in the NHS, but now it feels like there is light at the end of the tunnel,” said Parsons, who is originally from the Philippines and has worked in the NHS for the last 24 years.
(Int’l News Desk)
