Penrith man Colin Burton today became the first person in Eden to get the COVID-19 vaccination.
Mr Burton, aged 82, said it felt “brilliant” after emerging from Penrith hospital where he received the jab.
“Everybody should have it – everybody,” said Mr Burton, who reported that he “didn’t feel a thing”.
“I am pleased, my family is pleased, everybody is pleased.
“I go back on the 11th January and then a week later I should be all clear,” said Mr Burton, who is the father of Dawn and Mark, and has three grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
He intends to carry on doing much the same thing as he is doing now, which was take care of himself, he told the Herald.
“There is no need to rush out and start acting like an idiot,” added Mr Burton, who was employed in the civil engineering industry before he retired.
His daughter Dawn Robinson, of Penrith, said her father had been kept safe the whole way through the coronavirus pandemic, with contact being limited to doorstop drops during the first lockdown.
“I would go round and see him everyday, but leave him at the bottom of the garden and I would stand at the top,” she said.
Samantha Gargett, operational lead for Lakes Medical Practice, said: “It’s a privilege to be able to be here today with our team to vaccinate on behalf of patients from Eden.
“It’s been very emotional.”
In total, 975 vials of the vaccine are set to be administered this week to patients, aged 80-plus, from the 10 practices which comprise the Eden Primary Care network.
There are about 3,500 residents in the first cohort who will getting the vaccine throughout January.
Her message to Eden residents wanting the vaccine was: “Please wait for us to call you – it does jam our phone lines if people ring in to ask when they are going to be vaccinated as the practices are all still running and open as normal.”
