Margaret Keenan, the 90-year-old grandmother who became the first person in the world to receive the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine outside of a trial in Britain on Tuesday, has a message for others: “go for it” to beat the devastating disease.
An early riser, Keenan, from Northern Ireland, received the Pfizer-BioNTech shot at her local hospital in Coventry, central England, at 0631 GMT, a week before she turns 91.
A video showed her being wheeled out of the ward while nursing staff clad in protective gear lined the corridor to applaud and cheer, an echo of moving video clips released through the year when COVID-19 survivors left hospital.
“I say go for it, go for it because it’s free and it’s the best thing that has ever happened,” Keenan told reporters as cameras flashed and television reporters asked questions.
“If I can do it, well, so can you,” she told any doubters.
Known as Maggie to her friends, Keenan said she had stuck by the rules and spent most of the year on her own as the “devastating” pandemic took hold.
The vaccine means she can start to look forward to spending time with her family and friends again.
Britain is the first Western country to start immunising its population in what has been hailed as a turning point in the battle to defeat the disease. It is the worst-hit country in Europe with more than 61,000 deaths.
“I wasn’t nervous at all,” Keenan said, before discussing plans for her birthday.
Video footage showed the former jewellery shop assistant wearing a light blue mask, a grey cardigan and a blue T-shirt with a penguin in snow and the message “Merry Christmas”.
She received the shot in her left arm from nurse May Parsons, who has worked in Britain’s National Health Service (NHS) for 24 years.
“WE WILL BEAT THIS TOGETHER”
The mass inoculation will fuel hope that the world may be turning a corner in the fight against a pandemic that has crushed economies and killed more than 1.5 million.
Maria Nwakanma, a sister-in-law to Port Harcourt-based singer, Duncan Mighty, has refuted the allegations recently levelled against her by the latter.
Nwakanma stated that neither she nor any member of her family was interested in any of the singer’s properties, adding that Mighty’s social media posts were a pointer to the type of husband he was.
In a nine part-post on Instagram, Duncan Mighty had accused his wife, Vivian, her mother, Charity Nwakanma, and siblings, Maria and Bright, of going diabolical to poison him and inherit his properties.
He also claimed that he recorded some of his wife’s confession as evidence to back his claims.
His post read in part, “She started by saying that on several occasions in her family house, they always talked about my many properties and investments at this young age. Being an only child, (they felt) if anything happened to me, they could choose which of my properties to inherit, especially her elder sister, Maria, her mum and brother, Bright Nwakanma.
However, in a telephone interview with Saturday Beats, Maria dared him to post the evidence he had. She said, “This is a family matter because my younger sister is married to him. There are children involved, so there are things I cannot talk about. About his claims on social media, my mother, sister and I only have love for him. Whatever he is saying about my family, he is on his own. We don’t want to get involved in all this. When he is done, he would clear himself.
“I do not live with them and I cannot leave my father’s house to go and inherit another man’s property. I don’t understand why he said those things. He said he is the only child but I know he is not. His mother has other children. He also has children outside wedlock, so where is my stake in his property. He has been deleting comments by people who know him. He should stop removing those comments. Would a reasonable person air their family issues in public? Everybody, including his wife, Vivian, are okay. She has children to take care of. He took the boy because that is the only son he has. We don’t want to join issues with him. Let him post his evidence, so the truth would prevail. The truth cannot be hidden. You cannot cover a lie forever.”
This is not the first time Duncan and his wife would be in the news for the wrong reason. In August 2018, there were reports that the singer pummelled his wife in their Port Harcourt home. But, in a swift response, the ‘Fake Love’ crooner denied the allegations of domestic violence, adding that his marriage would not be destroyed by what is posted on social media.
A video serving rounds on the internet has revealed that 82-year-old Oyo monarch, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi is a very vibrant and fit king.
Alaafin of Oyo In the viral video the Alaafin of Oyo was spotted training with a punching bag in what looks like an open gym.
The traditional ruler wore boxing gloves and punched the bags with every ounce of vibrancy as spectators watched and cheered him.
Several Nigerians who are amazed at the kings display of energy and strength have taken to social media to commend him. Meanwhile the monarch gave a few punches to the bag before calling it quits amid royal chants.