First man to receive a COVID vaccine passes at 81

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

• William Shakespeare, the first man in the world to receive an approved COVID-19 vaccine, dies at age 81.
• Shakespeare made the headlines in December when he received the vaccine aired on TV.
• According to reports, Shakespeare passed away from an unrelated illness.

William Shakespeare of England made the headlines last year when he became the first man in the country and one of the first in the world to get vaccinated against the coronavirus. Reports say he has passed away at the age of 81 from an unrelated illness.

BirminghamLive reports that Shakespeare died Thursday at the same hospital in Coventry where he received the Covid-19 vaccine. The exact cause of death was not immediately clear.

Shakespeare was remembered as a “much-loved figure” in the Coventry Labour Party. Condolences and tributes poured in for the octogenarian.

Jayne Innes, who worked closely with Shakespeare, said he was a “keen photographer.” The Whoberley ward councilor also said that Shakespeare “loved jazz and socializing, and also loved the natural world and gardens.”

“Bill was a life-long campaigner, so he was delighted to be able to help encourage everyone to have the vaccine in order to return to all the things we enjoy in life,” Innes added. “I’ve had my first. Having our jabs is the best tribute we can all pay Bill.”

Shakespeare received the Pfizer vaccine at University Hospital Coventry, about 20 miles from Stratford-Upon-Avon, the birthplace of his namesake William Shakespeare, the famous playwright.

“I need to say, the staff at this hospital are wonderful,” Shakespeare said after he received the vaccine.

The modern-day Shakespeare was an inpatient at the hospital’s frailty ward at the time he received his Pfizer dose, according to the BBC.

His vaccination reported worldwide, taking the front page of The Post, where it was titled the “Taming of the Flu.”

Shakespeare is survived by his wife, Joy, and two sons, Julian and William. He was also a grandfather.

Source: Fox News