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Matt Hancock appears visibly emotional in GMB interview as UK gets first COVID vaccine

Watch: Moment Matt Hancock appears visibly emotional over coronavirus vaccines

Footage shows the moment Matt Hancock became visibly emotional while speaking about coronavirus vaccines on live TV.

The health secretary appeared to wipe his eyes when talking about the first people who received the newly-approved Pfizer-BioNTech jab on Tuesday morning.

He had just heard from the first man to receive the vaccine, William Shakespeare, whose injection was reported on by media.

Speaking on Good Morning Britain, Piers Morgan told the minister: “You’re quite emotional about that.”

“It’s just been such a tough year for so many people, and there’s William Shakespeare putting it simply for everybody – that we can get on with our lives.

“And there’s still a few months to go, I’ve still got this worry that we can’t blow it now, Piers.

“We’ve still got to get the vaccine to millions of people, so we’ve got to keep sticking by the rules, but there’s so much work has gone into this and it makes me proud to be British.”

A 90-year-old grandmother, Margaret Keenan, became the first person to get the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, as the UK begins its mass vaccination programme.

Watch: Grandmother gets COVID vaccine

Keenan, who will turn 91 next week, said: “Hopefully it’ll help other people come along and do what I did, and try and do the best to get rid of this terrible thing.”

Speaking at a vaccination centre at Guy’s Hospital in London, Boris Johnson said: “To all those who are scared (of getting vaccinated) – don’t be... you have seen people take the vaccine this morning in large numbers.

“There’s nothing to be nervous about.”

The government has ordered 40 million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, which arrived in the UK on 3 December.

That is enough for 20 million injections, because each patient requires two doses. The initial batch of 800,000 will be enough for 400,000 people to begin with.

Other vaccines are also on order, including a large batch of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, which is hoping to secure approval from regulators soon.

A total of 50 hubs across England will be able to dispense injections.

Care home residents and people aged over 80 are the priority groups for vaccination, while the vast majority of people are set to be given jabs next year.

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