The 81-year-old actor was amongst the high-risk group of people who received the vaccine first in the U.K.
Ian McKellen has safely received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, with the veteran actor urging others to get the vaccinated when they can.
“It’s a very special day, I feel euphoric!” the Lord of the Rings star said after getting the vaccine at the Queen Mary University Hospital in London on Wednesday, the Daily Mail reported.
The Burnley-born actor was among the first groups eligible for the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine in the U.K., the 81-year-old McKellen was eligible as over-80s, as well as frontline healthcare and care home workers, are the first groups to be vaccinated.
After receiving the vaccine, McKellen urged people, especially his age group, to not hesitate in getting the vaccine. “The take-up amongst the older generation will be 100 percent – it ought to be – because you’re having it not just for yourself but for people who you are close to – you’re doing your bit for society,” he said.
He added: “I would have no hesitation in recommending it to anyone. I feel very lucky to have had the vaccine.”
On Dec. 2, the U.K. became one of the first countries to grant Emergency Use Authorisation (EUA) of a safe and tested vaccine for COVID-19. The U.S. authorized EUA of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine on Dec. 11.