Oxford man, 82, first in world to get Oxford/AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine | Vaccines and immunisation

An 82-year-old retired maintenance manager has become the first person in the world to receive the Oxford University and AstraZeneca vaccine outside clinical trials.

Brian Pinker, a dialysis patient, received the jab at 7.30am on Monday from nurse Sam Foster at Oxford University hospitals NHS foundation trust’s Churchill hospital.

Pinker, who describes himself as Oxford born and bred, said in a statement issued by NHS England that the jab would give him peace of mind as he continued to receive treatment, and he was looking forward to celebrating his 48th wedding anniversary in February.

“I am so pleased to be getting the Covid vaccine today and really proud that it is one that was invented in Oxford,” he said. “The nurses, doctors and staff today have all been brilliant and I can now really look forward to celebrating my 48th wedding anniversary with my wife Shirley later this year.”

Foster said: “It was a real privilege to be able to deliver the first Oxford vaccine at the Churchill hospital here in Oxford, just a few hundred metres from where it was developed.

“We look forward to vaccinating many more patients and health and care staff with the Oxford vaccine in the coming weeks, which will make a huge difference to people living in the communities we serve and the staff who care for them in our hospitals.”