81-year-old actor and LGBTQ+ activist, Sir Ian McKellen, is among the first to receive the new Covid-19 vaccine after it was rolled out to over 140,000 UK citizens over the age of 80. According to the BBC, the Lord of the Rings star was vaccinated at Queen Mary’s University Hospital in London. Other famous figures to have been administered the vaccine include Prue Leith, Marty Wilde and Lionel Blair.
McKellen said he felt ‘euphoric’ after receiving the vaccine, and hopes it be the first step in returning back to normal life: “I feel honored to have received the Covid-19 vaccine and I would urge anyone who is offered the vaccine to take up the offer – it took a few minutes and then it was done. I really hope that, as more people get vaccinated, we will move further along the path back to a more normal way of life, particularly for the arts which have suffered so much this year.”
The vaccination programme is now in its second week, after the NHS described it as the “biggest breakthrough since the pandemic began, potentially saving tens of thousands of lives”. McKellen encouraged others to get vaccinated when possible, saying: “We all have a part to play in the fight against coronavirus and doing our bit and getting vaccinated will save lives.”
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