William Shakespeare, the first man to be vaccinated against the coronavirus in the UK last year, died on Thursday (26), aged 81, of a stroke.
In a statement released by Coventry University Hospital in England – the same in which Shakespeare was vaccinated on December 8, 2020 – his wife, Joy, 53, said he was very grateful to become one of the first people in the world to receive the Covid. -19 immunizer.
“It was something he was very proud of,” she said. “He loved seeing the media coverage and the positive difference he was able to make in the lives of so many people. He always told people about it and always encouraged everyone to get vaccinated whenever possible. “
The other William Shakespeare, the famous playwright and poet who died in 1616, also had a connection to the coronavirus pandemic, albeit indirectly. A section of Westminster Abbey in London, which houses a monument in honor of Shakespeare, has been used as a vaccination center in the British capital.
Shakespeare’s family, who died Thursday, said he would be remembered for more than sharing a name with one of the most famous historical figures. He has been an amateur photographer, jazz enthusiast, elected councilor in regional bodies and employee of local schools for more than 20 years.
“Bill [apelido de Shakespeare] I loved meeting people and helping them in any way I could, ”Joy said. Above all, he was a wonderful husband, father and grandfather. “
Shakespeare has been hospitalized since suffering a stroke last year. He received the first dose of the coronavirus vaccine shortly after 90-year-old Margaret Keenan, who was known to be the first person to receive a clinically cleared and fully tested Covid-19 vaccine.
“If I can take it at 90, then you can take it too,” Keenan said at the time. Since then, 56% of the UK’s adult population have received at least one dose of the vaccine and 34% are fully vaccinated, placing the country with one of the highest vaccination rates in the world.
The UK on Thursday confirmed more than 4.4 million cases and 128,000 deaths from the coronavirus, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.