First Man in the World to Receive an Approved Covid Vaccine Has Died at 81

The first man in the world to have received an approved Covid vaccine – named William Shakespeare, oddly enough – has died in hospital at the age of 81 after suffering a stroke. The MailOnline has the story.

[William Shakespeare, or] Bill, as he was known, made global headlines on so-called “V-Day” on December 8th when he received the Pfizer-BioNTech jab at the University Hospital Coventry.

The former Rolls Royce employee and parish councillor passed away from a stroke last Thursday, University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust said, after a period of illness at the same hospital where he famously received his vaccine. He leaves behind his wife Joy, their two adult sons and four grandchildren…

Paying tribute to her husband, Joy, 53, said: “Bill was so grateful for being offered the opportunity to become one of the first people in the world to be given the vaccine. It was something he was hugely proud of – he loved seeing the media coverage and the positive difference he was able to make to the lives of so many.

“He often talked to people about it and would always encourage everyone to get their vaccine whenever he could.” …

Bill, born in Coventry, served as a Parish Councillor for over 30 years at Allesley Parish Council and as a Governor at Coundon Court Secondary School for more than two decades. He was also involved in planting hundreds of trees in Coundon Wedge, Allesley and the creation of Coundon Wood. 

He helped with the local fundraising to purchase Elkin Wood, now managed by The Woodland Trust…

He was a long-term patient at the Coventry hospital’s frailty ward. He was an in-patient on the ward when he received his vaccine in December, which he described as “wonderful”.

A picture of Mr Shakespeare receiving the shot while wearing a pair of Christmas slippers and his hospital gown made front pages around the world. 

Mr Shakespeare was the second person to get an approved vaccine after Margaret Keenan, 91, got hers at the same hospital moments earlier.  

Worth reading in full.