Tuesday |December 8, 2020
The 90-year-old Margaret Keenan became the first person to receive the Covid-19 vaccine jab in the United Kingdom (UK) on Tuesday. The vaccine is made by Pfizer, the United States (US) drug maker.
The UK, the hardest hit area by the pandemic in Europe, is the first region in the world to go public with vaccinations against the deadly coronavirus.
Having taken the first shot of the vaccine, Keenan falls under the over 80 years old category of the initial qualifying group. She and many other pensioners were classified as the most vulnerable and priority group alongside National Health System (NHS) staff for vaccination in Britain.
Citizens are urged by UK authorities to wait for their own appointments instead of pitching up at health facilities, the BBC reported on Tuesday. In emphasising patience, Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned against unbridled optimism and reminded everybody to adhere to all Covid-19 protocols, health and safety measures.
The United States
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the US has approved the Pfizer vaccine.
Its President-elected Joe Biden promised that 100 million people will be vaccinated in his initial 100 days in the White House. He is due to be inaugurated on January 20, 2021. In line with his pushback against Covid-19, Biden envisaged that by June next year every American should have been vaccinated.
In the meantime, the US remains the epicenter of Covid-19 with an overwhelming total number of infections and deaths worldwide.
Besides Pfizer on the vaccine front, Moderna has also developed an effective vaccine according to its earlier tests and may come on stream at any given time.
A huge challenge is predicted for the distribution of vaccines in underdeveloped countries due to the requirements for storage conditions. A Nov. 13, 2020 article by Jamie Ducharme that appeared on TIME indicated that:
“70° C (-94° F)—a temperature cold enough to harden ice cream into a spoon-breaking block of ice, and that only specialized freezers can produce“.
For comparison’s sake, while Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine requires no less than minus 70 degrees celsius, Moderna’s storage conditions are remarkably lower in degrees (than that of Pfizer).
Second wave
Few days before Christmas celebrations, the coronavirus pandemic is surging globally. Europe in particular, is seeing an alarming resurgence of Covid-19. Germany’s case and hospitalization incidents increased dramatically on Tuesday, according to media reports.
After experiencing weeks of slump in Covid-19 cases and deaths, South Africa is recording a spike as well, notable in the Eastern Cape and West Cape Provinces.