The first man in the world to receive the Pfizer Covid-19 mRNA vaccine has passed away at age 81. Bill Shakespeare received the Pfizer-BioNtech Covid-19 injection at University Hospital in Coventry, England on December 8, 2020.
No cause of death was disclosed. However, reports stated that he died of an “unrelated illness.”
He was only the second person to receive the experimental mRNA vaccine, after 91-year-old Margaret Keenan received the shot at the same hospital.
Britain hailed Shakespeare’s shot as a turning point in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic, as it launched the biggest vaccination program in the country’s history.
Coventry councilor Jayne Innes confirmed Mr. Shakespeare’s death in a Facebook post on Tuesday. She said the “best tribute to Bill is to have the jab… Bill will be remembered for many things, including a taste for mischief.”
West Midlands Labour group tweeted: “Bill made global headlines as the first man to have Covid vaccine… Our thoughts are with Joy and Bill’s family and friends.”
