‘It’s a great start!’ Dame Judi Dench, 86, reveals she has had her first Covid vaccine and shares her ‘relief’ over being able to continue her film work
- The Oscar-winning actress, 86, revealed on Thursday that she received her first jab last week and will now have to wait 11 weeks for her second booster
- Dench did not specify whether she had the Pfizer/BioNTech or Oxford University/AstraZeneca vaccination against the coronavirus
- The legendary actress also shared her ‘joy’ and ‘relief’ over being able to continue her film work during the pandemic
- Dench joins a long list of stars who have now had their first vaccination against the coronavirus including Dame Joan Collins, 87, and Sir Ian McKellen, 81
- 1.5 million in priority groups have received one of the jabs
- In order to meet the target of 13.9 million people in priority groups by mid-February, there needs to be at least two million vaccinations a week
- Boris Johnson wants to open 50 mass vaccination centres across the country to help hit his target of offering vaccines to nearly 14 million people by next month
Dame Judi Dench, 86, has had her first Covid-19 vaccination.
The Oscar-winning actress revealed on Thursday that she received her first jab last week and will now have to wait 11 weeks for her second booster.
Dench did not specify whether she had the Pfizer/BioNTech or Oxford University/AstraZeneca vaccination against the coronavirus.
Vaccinated: Dame Judi Dench, 86, has had her first Covid-19 vaccination (pictured on This Morning in November)
It comes as 1.5 million in priority groups have received one of the jabs, and in order to meet the target of 13.9 million people in priority groups by mid-February there needs to be at least two million vaccinations a week.
Talking during a phone interview on Thursday’s BBC News, she said: ‘I have [had the coronavirus vaccine]. I had one a week ago so I think my next is something like 11 weeks’ time, that’s a great start!’
Elsewhere, Dench shared her ‘joy’ and ‘relief’ over being able to continue her film work during the pandemic.
The star revealed that only one project had been postponed and she had recently been filming Kenneth Branagh’s drama Belfast in Ireland.
First jab: The Oscar-winning actress revealed on Thursday that she received her first jab last week and will now have to wait 11 weeks for her second booster (pictured with partner David Mills wearing animal face masks over the summer)
Dench said: ‘I was going to film something which has been postponed. I was, during this time, able to film with Kenneth Branagh, who wrote and directed a film about his childhood in Belfast.’
The actress insisted that staff and crew took ‘every precaution’ and adhered to all the strict coronavirus regulations.
Dench explained: ‘We were all incredible lines to each other, taking every precaution. Everybody wore masks and everything. So we were well looked after.
‘It was a huge relief to do something and it was exciting too at that time. Otherwise you wake up and think: “What is the thing I will do today” and try to get something done.’
Interview: Talking during a phone interview on Thursday’s BBC News, Dench did not specify whether she had the Pfizer/BioNTech or Oxford University/AstraZeneca vaccination against the coronavirus
Dench admitted it was ‘joyous’ and ‘glorious’ being able to film again, she said: ‘It certainly was, it made everything very different and working was glorious.
‘It’s very difficult if you don’t have a work discipline to get yourself started in the morning really. It’s terribly easy just to sit and do nothing.’
Dench joins a long list of stars who have now had their first vaccination against the coronavirus.
Over the weekend, Dame Joan Collins, 87, revealed she had been inoculated at London’s Bloomsbury Surgery.
The legendary actress shared a snap of herself getting the Oxford coronavirus vaccine to Instagram as she thanked the doctors for a ‘painless and seamless procedure’.
Joy: Dench shared her ‘joy’ and ‘relief’ over be able to continue her film work during the pandemic (pictured with her grandson, Sam, 22, and daughter Finty Williams over summer)
Collins also admitted that she felt ‘honoured’ to be given the jab, especially on the same day that The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh had received the inoculation.
She penned: ‘Delighted to get @astrazeneca @ouhospitals #vaccine yesterday morning at the @nhsenglandldn Bloomsbury surgery – thank you Mr. @rajgill2585 and @dr_ammarahughes for a painless and seamless procedure!
‘Same day as our Queen! #honoured #registernow.’
Celebrities including Sir Ian McKellen, 81, Sir Tom Jones, 80, Jack Whitehall’s father Michael, 80, Prue Leith, 80, and Lionel Blair, 92, have also announced that they have received the Covid-19 jab.
Covid vaccine: Over the weekend, Dame Joan Collins, 87, revealed she had been inoculated at London ‘s Bloomsbury Surgery
Famous faces: Sir Ian McKellen, 81, has also received the jab
Elsewhere, The Queen, 94, and Prince Philip, 99, were given the Covid-19 vaccination over the weekend at Windsor Castle, Buckingham Palace.
When asked by MailOnline, the palace refused to indicate which out of the two available vaccines the couple had been given.
News of the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh’s vaccination is unusual from Buckingham Palace, which rarely comments on the royal couple’s private health matters.
It is understood the Queen decided the information should be made public to prevent inaccuracies and further speculation.
Getting protected: Bake Off judge Prue Leith, 80, uploaded a picture of a nurse giving her the Pfizer/BioNTech injection back in December
Thanks: TV producer Michael Whitehall, 80, praised the ‘kind and wonderful’ NHS staff who helped him while at a hospital in London getting the jab earlier in December
A Buckingham Palace spokesman said: ‘The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh have today received Covid-19 vaccinations.’
A royal source confirmed the injections were administered by a Household Doctor at Windsor Castle.
Confirmation of the royal couple’s inoculations comes a month after British grandmother Margaret Keenan, 91, became the first person in the world to receive a Covid-19 vaccination on December 8.
Injected: Veteran star Lionel Blair, 92, has also received the first of two COVID vaccine jabs
Health: The Queen, 94, and Prince Philip, 99, were also given the Covid-19 vaccination over the weekend at Windsor Castle, Buckingham Palace
It has since been offered to people over 80 or those who are at high risk from the virus, with people who live or work in care homes also top of the list to get the jab.
It comes as 1.5 million in priority groups have received one of the jabs, and in order to meet the target of 13.9 million people in priority groups by mid-February there needs to be at least two million vaccinations a week.
Boris Johnson wants to open 50 mass vaccination centres across the country within weeks to help hit his target of offering vaccines to nearly 14 million people by the middle of next month.
It is reported at least another 43 hubs are now being planned for areas with large populations.
Rolling out: It comes as 1.5 million in priority groups have received one of the jabs, and in order to meet the target of 13.9 million people in priority groups by mid-February there needs to be at least two million vaccinations a week (above, Boris Johnson in London)
Where are the mass vaccination centres going to be set up
ExCel Centre, London
Robertson House, Stevenage
Epsom Downs Racecourse, Surrey
Ashton Gate Stadium, Bristol
Millennium Point, Birmingham
Etihad Tennis Centre, Manchester
Centre for Life, Newcastle
Elland Road Stadium, Leeds
Blackburn Cathedral
Totally Wicked Stadium, St Helens
Telford International Centre, Telford
Black Country Living Museum, Dudley
Navigation Walk, Wakefield
Jacob’s Well, Bradford
John Smith’s Stadium, Huddersfield
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