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Sir Ian McKellen among the first recipients of the COVID-19 vaccine

81-year-old actor Sir Ian McKellen has said he is euphoric after being one of the first people to receive the Pfizer vaccine for COVID-19.

“A wizard is never late, nor are they early; they arrive precisely when they mean to.” This saying has stuck with me for my entire life and I whip it out every time I am late somewhere. Ian McKellen, the legendary actor who portrayed Gandalf in The Lord Of The Rings, has been one of the first people to receive the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine.

He tweeted afterwards, encouraging everyone to “get the jab” and “do their bit” for society. McKellen was in the eligible age bracket for the first doses of the vaccine, which will be provided first to healthcare workers, the elderly, and people living in aged care facilities in the UK.

McKellen received the vaccine at Queen Mary’s University Hospital in London, and was administered by GP Dr Phil Bennett-Richards. As the Pfizer vaccine is administered in two doses, the second will be administered in 21 days, at which point he can resume practising magic and saving Middle Earth again.

“I really hope that, as more people get vaccinated, we will move further along the path back to a more normal way of life.”