A 91-year-old British man who became an internet sensation after being interviewed on CNN following his first dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech coronavirus vaccine has received the required second jab.
Martin Kenyon told CNN on Tuesday that he had his second and final shot of the vaccine on December 29, as previously arranged with Guy’s Hospital, in London.
The grandfather said he is in good health and still in awe of just how much attention he keeps receiving over his vaccination, calling it “nonsense.”
Kenyon had his first vaccine on December 8, when the UK became the first country to begin vaccinating its citizens with a fully vetted and authorized Covid-19 shot, marking a landmark moment in the coronavirus pandemic.
Kenyon’s rise to fame came just minutes after receiving his first injection, following an interview with CNN outside Guy’s Hospital, which later went viral.
He told CNN at the time: “I hope I am not going to have the bloody bug now. I don’t intend to have it [coronavirus] because I’ve got granddaughters and I want to live a long time to enjoy their lives.”
He added: “There’s no point dying now when I’ve lived this long.”
On Monday the UK started its rollout of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine, with 82-year-old Brian Pinker the first to receive it.
“The vaccine means everything to me, to my mind it is the only way to get back to normal life,” Pinker said after having the jab.
UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock described the rollout as a “real pivotal moment” on Monday.
The UK recorded 58,784 new coronavirus cases on Monday – the highest daily increase since the beginning of the pandemic and the seventh day in a row in which the UK has recorded more than 50,000 new cases.
The staggering figures came as UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced a third national lockdown in England, which is expected to remain in place at least through the middle of February.
