UK PM receives first dose of AstraZeneca vaccine

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has received a first dose of AstraZeneca’s Covid vaccine, at the London hospital where he fought for his life almost a year ago, assuring the public the jab is safe.

“I literally did not feel a thing. It was very good, very quick,” the 56-year-old leader told reporters at St Thomas’ Hospital in central London, close to his Downing Street residence.

“Everybody, when you do get your notification to go for a jab, please go and get it,” Johnson said.

“It’s the best thing for you, the best thing for your family and for everybody else,” he added, stressing the renewed green light given by scientists in Europe for the AstraZeneca jab.

“The risk is Covid. This is a great thing to do,” Johnson said, hours after French Prime Minister Jean Castex received the AstraZeneca injection live on television.

AstraZeneca’s jab, developed with Oxford University, provides the bulk of Britain’s inoculation campaign and a large portion of its supply has been produced by the Serum Institute of India, the world’s biggest vaccine maker.