William Shakespeare, 81, became the second person to get the Covid-19 vaccine after the rollout in the UK.
Shakespeare from Warwickshire was one of the first patients to receive the newly approved coronavirus vaccine on Tuesday after regulators approved its use.
The elderly man, who has spent most of his life living in the shadow of his namesake, had the jab at the University Hospital Coventry.
The UK became the first country to start administering the vaccine after the Medicines & Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency’s approval last week.
The first 800,000 doses of the vaccine will be given to people older than 80.
91-year-old Margaret Keenan from Coventry became the first person to receive the vaccine at 6:45 am.
Shortly after getting the vaccine, Shakespeare said it was “groundbreaking” for him.
“It could make a difference to our lives from now on,” he continued. “It’s started changing our lives and our lifestyle.”
Health Secretary Matt Hancock watched the video of Shakespeare getting the jab and seemed to become emotional as the procedure occurred.
“It’s been such a tough year for so many people – and there’s William Shakespeare putting it so simply for everybody, that we can get on with our lives,” he said on ITV’s Good Morning Britain.
“There’s so much work gone into this. It makes you so proud to be British.”
The news of the 81-year-old’s vaccination prompted many people to make jokes online, with one referring to the jab as ‘The Taming of the Flu,’ a play on ‘The Taming of the Shrew.’
“Love the fact that the 2nd person to have the vaccine was William Shakespeare from Warwickshire. How late am I with ‘Two Gentlemen of Corona?” one person wrote on Twitter.
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