Boris Johnson today joined the millions of Britons to be vaccinated after receiving his first dose of the Oxford-AstraZeneca jab.
The Prime Minister, 56, gave a triumphant thumbs up after having his inoculation at St Thomas’ in central London – the same hospital he was admitted to when struck down with Covid in April last year.
Encouraging others to also get jabbed, he said he ‘literally couldn’t feel a thing’ when his nurse, Lily, injected him in his left arm.
By receiving the AstraZeneca vaccine himself, Mr Johnson is sending the strongest possible signal he believes it to be safe following hesitancy from European leaders.
Around 20 countries had suspended use of the jab for fear it caused blot clotting – experienced in a handful of recipients out of millions – but have now U-turned after the regulator declared it safe.
Taking a thinly-veiled swipe at his Continental counterparts, the Prime Minister added: ‘Listen to the scientists, listen to what the European Medicines Agency had to say, to what the MHRA [the British regulator] has said.
‘The risk is Covid – this is a great thing to do.’
It came as Britain’s vaccine drive hit a record high today after 660,276 doses were dished out in 24 hours, official figures revealed.
