First dose of Moderna vaccine given in UK as carer Elle Taylor gets jab

7 April 2021, 09:25 | Updated: 8 April 2021, 01:00

First dose of Moderna vaccine given in UK

Unpaid carer Elle Taylor, 24, from Ammanford, became the first Briton in the UK to receive the Moderna vaccine when she was given the jab at the West Wales General Hospital in Carmarthen.

Elle Taylor, who works at a further education college in Llanelli, received the Moderna jab from staff nurse Laura French at West Wales General Hospital's outpatients department.

Speaking after receiving the vaccine, the 24-year-old said: "I'm very excited and very happy.

"I'm an unpaid carer for my grandmother so it is very important to me that I get it, so I can care for her properly and safely.

"My grandmother has had her first dose and she is going for her second dose on Saturday."

Miss Taylor said she only found out on Tuesday evening that she was to be the first Briton to receive the Moderna jab in the UK.

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Elle Taylor said she had not heard of the Moderna vaccine until she was told she was receiving it.

"It was great, the nurses were lovely and it didn't hurt," she said.

Miss Taylor said she was aware of concerns about patients receiving the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine developing blood clots.

"I had heard but it doesn't concern me too much, and I guess if it happens, it happens and I am in the right care if I need it, and I feel happy that I've tried the new one."

Asked how she felt to be a trailblazer for millions of other people, the 24-year-old unpaid carer said: "I feel thrilled and really happy and honoured, and I just hope it goes well for everybody."

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And Welsh Health Minister Vaughan Gething told LBC News that e is "proud" that the first Moderna vaccine was given in Wales.

"It's really good news, this is the third licensed vaccine and it is being delivered first in the UK in Wales as a part of our really fast and very impressive vaccine rollout programme," he said.

"I think not just Wales but every UK country can be proud of the vaccine rollout that the NHS is delivering.

"And here in Wales we are confident we can guarantee to keep giving out first doses as well as keeping up the rate of second doses to fully protect the public."

He also confirmed that people will not be getting "mixed jabs" and the same first and second vaccine doses will be given to people.

Patients at West Wales General Hospital in Carmarthen are the first to receive the Moderna jab today, Welsh ministers confirmed.

They said 5,000 doses were sent to vaccination centres in the Hywel Dda University Health Board area on Tuesday.

Britain has purchased 17 million doses of the Moderna drug. It will be administered in two doses, therefore this batch will be enough for 8.5 million people.

The vaccine's phase three results suggest its efficacy against Covid-19 is 94.1 per cent, and efficacy against severe cases of the virus is 100 per cent.

It will be rolled out alongside the Pfizer and AstraZeneca jabs.

Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock said he was "delighted we can start the UK rollout of the Moderna vaccine in west Wales today".

He added: "The UK Government has secured vaccines on behalf of the entire nation and the vaccination programme has shown our country working together at its best.

"Three out of every five people across the whole United Kingdom have received at least one dose, and today we start with the third approved vaccine. Wherever you live, when you get the call, get the jab."

Wales Health Minister Vaughan Gething said the rollout is "another key milestone in our fight" against coronavirus.

He said: "A third vaccine for use in Wales significantly adds to our defences in the face of coronavirus and will help to protect our most vulnerable.

"Every vaccine given to someone in Wales is a small victory against the virus and we would encourage everyone to go for their vaccine when invited."