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91-year-old UK man who became internet sensation gets second vaccine dose

The 91-year-old British man who became an internet sensation following his interview for being one of the first in the world to receive the COVID-19 vaccine got his second dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech shot.

Martin Kenyon told CNN on Tuesday that he took the second and last dose of the coronavirus vaccine last week at Guy’s Hospital in London during a previously planned appointment. 

Kenyon said he remains in good health and has been shocked by the amount of attention his interview from last month received, calling it “nonsense.”

In an interview with The Guardian, Kenyon called the vaccination process at the hospital “very efficient” and expressed excitement about being able to hug his grandchildren again.

“Now, I don’t have to think about it again,” he said. “It’s all done. I am going to survive, and I’m looking at lovely pictures of my two delightful daughters and my two enchanting grandchildren [aged 7 and 10]. They are very nice children, and they love their grandfather.”

Kenyon rose to popularity for a colorful television interview after receiving the first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine at Guy’s Hospital on Dec. 8 — the date that the United Kingdom became the first country to distribute the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.

The 91-year-old told CNN at the time that he called the hospital and was invited to come in for a dose. Before his shot, he said he “couldn’t damn well find any place to park my car” and while waiting for his turn, he said he “went off and had a rather nasty lunch.”

When CNN’s Cyril Vanier asked him how it felt to have one of the first vaccinations, Kenyon said, “I hope I am not going to have the bloody bug now.”

“I don’t intend to have it because I’ve got granddaughters and I want to live a long time to enjoy their lives,” he continued.

 

The U.K. became the first country to approve the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, followed shortly by the U.S. and the European Union. The U.S. has also issued an emergency authorization for the Moderna vaccine, which it has also begun administering in recent weeks.