The first Pfizer vaccines in the county were offered at Peterborough City Hospital and Addenbrooke’s Hospital yesterday (08/12) as part of the new national Covid-19 vaccination campaign.

Both Addenbrooke’s and Peterborough City Hospital are among the first 50 hospitals to be offering the new Pfizer/BioTech vaccine from this week, with people over the age of 80, higher risk NHS workers, and care home workers being among the first recipients.

Peterborough MP Paul Bristow wrote on Facebook that this makes the country “one of the first places in the country to get the vaccine,” and proceeded to thank NHS workers.

The Cambridge University Hospitals Twitter page shared a picture of Elsie yesterday afternoon (08/12), thanking her for being the “first person to receive her #covidvaccine.”

There have also been requests from the NHS in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough for members of the public to volunteer to join the Covid Vaccine Team with the calls entitled ’Your NHS Needs You.”

Matthew Winn, Chief Executive of Cambridgeshire Community Services NHS Trust, said that he was “determined to deliver [the vaccine] to eligible people...as quickly as possible,” but also noted that it was important to “keep vital services running at the same time,” which vaccination volunteers would permit.

The mass vaccination programme began on so-called “V-Day” yesterday morning, after the Pfizer vaccine was approved for circulation last week. Health Secretary Matt Hancock has said that there is now “light at the end of the tunnel.”

The Government has secured 800,000 doses of the vaccine, with a further four million expected by the end of the month. In total, 40 million doses have been ordered, with plans to circulate them over the coming months.

The Pfizer vaccine is given in two doses, 21 days apart, and provides full immunity 28 days after the first dose.

The clinical trials for the vaccine began in April with Phase 2/3 trials beginning at the end of July. The vaccine has overall taken over ten months to be created and approved, making it the fastest-ever vaccine to be developed.