LONDON (Reuters) – British actor Ian McKellen, who played the wizard Gandalf in the films Lord of the Rings, said he was euphoric after receiving the first dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine and urged her -everyone who received the injection accepted. .
The state-run National Health Service (NHS), which runs Britain’s major COVID vaccination program, posted several images of McKellen, in a blue T-shirt and rainbow striped scarf, handed a thumb when he received the bullet.
“It’s a special day. I feel euphoric, ”McKellen, 81, was quoted as saying in one NHS post he did again.
“I would not hesitate to recommend it to anyone. I am very lucky to have been vaccinated. ”
Nearly 140,000 people have received the first dose of the Pfizer vaccine in Britain since its outbreak began on December 8. People over 80 are in the highest priority group.
A star of British stage and screen since the 1960s, McKellen gained a new level of global fame in the 2000s when he appeared as Gandalf in the films based on the novels of JRR Tolkien and directed by Peter Jackson.
He was the latest celebrity in Britain to go public about getting the COVID-19 vaccine, part of a general effort to reassure members of the public who may be doubts about the safety of the injection.
Chef and chef writer Prue Leith, 80, who is presenting the high quality TV show “The Great British Bake Off”, also posed for a photo of herself.
It is not yet known if Queen Elizabeth, 94, and her husband Prince Philip, 99, have been vaccinated. The Times said they could “show up” when they have.
The queen is highly respected in Britain and her support would be a powerful message for countering misinformation against vaccines.
Reporting by Estelle Shirbon, edited by Elizabeth Piper