Margaret Keenan, from Enniskillen, said she felt "privileged" to be the first person in the United Kingdom to be vaccinated on what's being called "V-Day".
The United Kingdom is the first country to authorize the COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use. Around 800k doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech coronavirus vaccine is being rolled out from Tuesday.
Margaret Keenan, from Enniskillen, County Fermanagh, was administered the vaccine at about 6.30am GMT, in Coventry England.
Britain's Health Secretary Matt Hancock has dubbed the rollout of the vaccines as "V-Day", in a nod to victory in World War II.
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Keenan told the BBC "I feel so privileged to be the first person vaccinated against Covid-19, it's the best early birthday present I could wish for because it means I can finally look forward to spending time with my family and friends in the New Year after being on my own for most of the year."
"I can't thank May [the nurse who administered the vaccine] and the NHS staff enough who have looked after me tremendously, and my advice to anyone offered the vaccine is to take it - if I can have it at 90 then you can have it too."
Margaret Keenan, a 90-year-old grandmother, has become the first person in the world to receive a Covid-19 vaccine outside of a trial. She received the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine at her local hospital in Coventry. | Read more: https://t.co/IQX2uVFX5y pic.twitter.com/9kuwKive53
— RTÉ News (@rtenews) December 8, 2020
Keenan, originally from Northern Ireland, has lived in Coventry for over 60 years. She will receive a booster shot in 21 days to ensure she has the best chance of being protected from the virus.
Next week Keenan turns 91. The former jewelry shop assistant only retired four years ago. She has been self-isolating for most of 2020 and now plans to have a very small "bubble" Christmas with her family to keep safe, RTE reports.
National Health Service nurses, May Parsons said it was a huge honor to deliver the vaccine.
She said "It's a huge honor to be the first person in the country to deliver a COVID-19 jab to a patient, I'm just glad that I'm able to play a part in this historic day.
"The last few months have been tough for all of us working in the NHS, but now it feels like there is light at the end of the tunnel."
Speaking to Sky News, Minister Hancock said "I'm feeling quite emotional actually watching those pictures. It has been such a tough year for so many people and finally, we have our way through it - our light at the end of the tunnel as so many people are saying.
"And just watching Margaret there - it seems so simple having a jab in your arm, but that will protect Margaret and it will protect the people around her.
"And if we manage to do that in what is going to be one of the biggest programs in NHS history, if we manage to do that for everybody who is vulnerable to this disease then we can move on."
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