LONDON (Reuters) – British actor Ian McKellen, who played the wizard Gandalf in the Lord of the Rings films, said he was euphoric after receiving the first dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine and urged everyone who was offered the puncture to accept it.
The State Health Service (NHS), which manages Britain’s massive COVID vaccination program, posted several images of McKellen, wearing a blue T-shirt and a rainbow striped handkerchief, giving a thumbs up while he was shot.
“It’s a very special day. I feel euphoric, ”McKellen, 81, said in an NHS post he retweeted.
“I would not hesitate to recommend it to anyone. I feel very lucky to have had the vaccine. “
Nearly 140,000 people have received the first dose of the Pfizer vaccine in Britain since the launch began on 8 December. People over 80 form the group with the highest priority.
A star on the British stage and screen since the 1960s, McKellen reached a new level of world fame in the 2000s when he appeared as Gandalf in films based on JRR Tolkien’s novels and directed by Peter Jackson.
It was the last British celebrity to make public the reception of the COVID-19 vaccine, part of a collective effort to reassure members of the public who may have doubts about the safety of the sting.
Chef and kitchen writer Prue Leith, 80, who presents the high-scoring television show “The Great British Bake Off,” also posted a photo of herself getting shot.
It is not known if Queen Elizabeth, 94, and her husband, Prince Philip, 99, have had the vaccine yet. The Times reported that they could “let it be known” once they have done so.
The Queen is highly respected in Britain and her support would be a powerful message to counter misinformation against vaccination.
Report by Estelle Shirbon, edited by Elizabeth Piper