Sir Ian McKellen is 81 years old. He was born in 1939. Think of all the things he’s seen and survived throughout his life – when he was just a child, he survived WWII and the Battle of Britain. He was born years before there was a polio vaccine. His mother passed away when he was 12 years old. He survived the 1960s and 1970s. He survived disco! He survived the AIDS crisis of the 1980s. He survived and thrived as a gay man during eras of entrenched and violent homophobia. And now, at the age of 81, he’s survived the coronavirus pandemic. Sir Ian was vaccinated this week in London.
Sir Ian McKellen is feeling “euphoric” after receiving the vaccine for the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). McKellen, 81, was given the first of two doses at London’s Queen Mary’s University Hospital on Wednesday, the Evening Standard reported.
“It’s a very special day, I feel euphoric,” the Oscar nominee said, per the British news outlet.
“Anyone who has lived as long as I have is alive because they have had previous vaccinations,” the Lord of the Rings star said, “the take up amongst the older generation will be 100 percent — it ought to be — because you’re having it not just for yourself but for people who you are close to — you’re doing your bit for society.”
McKellen said that he feels “very lucky to have had the vaccine,” and encouraged others to get it as well. “Of course, it’s painless,” the actor said of the shot. “It’s convenient, and getting in touch and meeting NHS staff and saying thank you to them for how hard they’ve been working is a bonus, I would have no hesitation in recommending it to anyone.”
I don’t have any issue with famous people receiving the first rounds of the vaccine when those people are elderly. I think it really helps to raise awareness of the vaccine and the vaccine’s efficacy when someone like Sir Ian takes it and speaks about it publicly. He’s probably going to help a lot of independently-living seniors make up their minds to get the vaccine. I hope Ian’s senior friends, like Patrick Stewart and Dame Judi Dench, also take the vaccine and speak about it publicly. This needs to be part of a huge, grassroots promotional campaign to ensure public trust in the vaccines.
'I really hope that, as more people get vaccinated, we will move further along the path back to a more normal way of life.'
⁰Sir @IanMcKellen joins the thousands of people who have now safely received the first dose of the #CovidVaccine. https://t.co/1e3nCAUFcB pic.twitter.com/FFW6jrKqEg— NHS England and NHS Improvement (@NHSEngland) December 16, 2020
I feel very lucky to have had the vaccine. I would have no hesitation in recommending it to anyone. https://t.co/gBLRR0OeJc
— Ian McKellen (@IanMcKellen) December 17, 2020
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.
This is excellent news. Also the picture of him with Patrick is giving me life.
Have all the healthcare workers had theirs already?
Pretty sure the British system is doing the elderly and frontline workers at the same time
As I say below – as he’s 80+ he’s in same priority group as frontline health and social care workers. So they’re starting to get theirs now too. It’s not about him being famous.
Yes – our neighbour is the same age as Sir Ian and was vaccinated last weekend. He was one of the first as his wife is resident in a nursing home.
But I’m glad he is using his fame to promote getting it.
Good for him! It looks like we are going to need all the encouragement we can get. I was just chatting with my friend yesterday and she says she’s not going to get it. I’m hoping it’s temporary and she’s just cautious about it.
That’s where I am at. I’m not itching to be first in line by a long shot. I’m nervous about it. But, I feel like, a few months from now, when millions of people have gotten it and I see that there are no major side effects happening, I will happily get it.
The reason he got the vaccine isn’t about him being famous, I imagine – it’s because he’s 80+. That’s priority 2 over here (80+ and frontline health and social care workers – my father-in-law, who is 84 and my brother-in-law who is a frontline NHS worker are both due to get it shortly too) which is currently underway. Priority 1 was care home residents and carers. Just FYI.
I really appreciate what he says about people of his generation getting it because they’ve lived in a time where there were no vaccines for so many diseases that would kill you or have debilitating long term effects. Such a huge portion of the population is too young; we’ve all grown up being vaccinated and not having to worry about these diseases. Smallpox has been eradicated because of a vaccine!
Awesome! I am obviously not a scientist. However, the more I read about mRNA, the more this layperson is convinced that it really will revolutionize how we treat medical problems in the future. The one and only positive of this pandemic may end up being that it allowed for mRNA to finally be given the consideration and funding that it deserves. Again, I’m no scientist, so if any scientists out there have different views… please forgive my ignorance 🙂
He is in a high priority group due to his age so he is getting the vaccine early, but I’m happy that he is using his fame to speak about the benefits of vaccination. My mother was telling me yesterday that she read somewhere that the vaccine was giving people meningitis of all things (I had to explain to her why that was stupid on so many levels), so having more people hear that the vaccine is safe is good.
Yes, I think its so important for famous people to speak out about getting the vaccine. the vaccine only works if people get it! We need to encourage everyone to get it as soon as they can.
He obviously would have received it regardless of his fame given his age, but I am so happy to see him publicizing it and allowing the PR. Very smart and positive.
Happy for him…let’s hope our National Treasure Betty White also gets it!
He got his vaccine ahead of the rest of us because he is in the high priority group as an elderly citizen of the UK, not because he is a celebrity. I live in a suburban area in South West London and some of our elderly neighbours have received their vaccinations and are more confident to venture out on daily walks a couple of weeks from now. And on our neighbourhood watch group, everyone is so grateful about the vaccine and say they are looking forward to their turn. Bless the NHS.