The United Kingdom stated vaccinating

citizens with the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine today, the first country in the

world to do so.

The addition of the AstraZeneca

coronavirus vaccine comes after the nation granted approval on December 30.

The first person to receive a dose was

Brian Pinker, 82, who received the jab this morning.

After receiving the shot, Pinker, who is vulnerable

due to his age and receiving dialysis treatment, said “I’m so please to be

getting the (COVID-19) vaccine today, according to a tweet from the National

Health Service.

He continued, “The

vaccine means everything to me, to my mind it is the only way to get back to

normal life.”

The newly-approved vaccine raises hopes in

the COVID-19 fight for many across the world as it is easier to store and

transport, making delivery better outside of hospital settings.

The United Kingdom has also approved the

two-dose Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine which is already being given to people as part

of its immunization strategy.