Retired doctor, 83, first to receive Covid-19 vaccine at Wexham Park Hospital

The first wave of Covid-19 vaccinations, dubbed V Day by Health Secretary Matt Hancock, was rolled out to about 70 hospitals in the UK today (December 8) – the largest vaccination programme the country has undertaken.

Retired doctor Zubaida Iqbal was the first patient at Wexham Park Hospital to be given the vaccine.

Speaking to the Observer after her jab, she said it felt “good” and she was “very happy to be the first person to get the vaccine”.

READ MORE: Wexham Park Hospital will begin Covid-19 vaccinations from December 8

Ms Iqbal worked for the NHS for 30 years – and her visit reminded her of the old days of working in a hospital in the wards.

Ms Iqbal will return to the hospital in three weeks in order to get her second jab after which she, among others who have been vaccinated, should be fully immune a week later from the virus.

The head of nursing, Tracey Coulson, gave the first jab to Ms Iqbal and will be vaccinating more patients as more doses come.

The retired doctor said: “The staff have been wonderful, and everybody was nice and friendly.

“I thank them for doing a wonderful job.”

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Zubaida and others were shown to one of three bays that have been set up where a nurse will give the vaccination.

After the patients have been given the jab, they are shown to a recovery area with tea and coffee to make sure they are fine.

A high-risk staff member of Wexham Park Hospital was given the first vaccine at 8am.

The over-80s and some health and care staff are the ones being vaccinated at the moment in the hopes of protecting the most vulnerable.

The Government has secured around 800,000 doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine – but has ordered 40 million in total, enough for 20 million people.

The regulators gave this vaccine approval for mass use last week and the UK is the first country in the world to start using it.