An 87 year-old Indian-origin man from England has become one of the first people to get a vaccine against coronavirus. He received the two dose Pfizer/BioNTech jab at a hospital in Newcastle on December 7.

Hari Shukla said that it was his duty to receive his first-two dose vaccine. The UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson called this a "huge step forward" and dubbed Tuesday as V-Day or Vaccine Day in the UK.

The octogenarian was notified by the National Health Service (NHS) based on the criteria set by the UK's Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation as part of a phased rollout plan based on those at the highest risk of death from the lethal virus.

"I'm so pleased we are hopefully coming towards the end of this pandemic and I am delighted to be doing my bit by having the vaccine, I feel it is my duty to do so and do whatever I can to help," PTI quoted Shukla as saying.

He further added that he's been in contact with the NHS and is aware of how hard they work and that he has the 'greatest respect for them'.

Johnson said, "Today marks a huge step forward in the UK's fight against coronavirus, as we begin delivering the vaccine to the first patients across the whole country. I am immensely proud of the scientists who developed the vaccine, members of the public who took part in trials, and the NHS who have worked tirelessly to prepare for rollout."However, the UK PM informed that mass vaccination will still take time and asked the public to follow lockdown rules over the winter months ahead.

UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock said that December 7 will be looked back as V-Day, as a significant moment in our fight against the deadly virus.

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