'Lucky' Maureen, 88, from Poulton is one of the first to receive the Covid-19 vaccine at Blackpool Victoria Hospital

One of the very first people to receive the vaccination is 88-year-old Maureen Ashcroft from Poulton.

Maureen, of Beaumont Gardens, counts herself as one of the luckiest people on earth to receive the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine and is now looking forward to seeing her family and friends in the new year.

A former civil servant and hotel owner, Maureen said: “I was very lucky. I have been under the doctor because of atrial fibrillation earlier on in the year and he kept a check on me and I had a scan at the hospital.

“I got a letter last week to advise me everything was fine and to just to keep an eye on everything and then I got phone call the other day asking if I would come for a Covid vaccination.

“I don’t know whether it was because I was already on the doctor’s list that I was invited but they gave me a time and a date and I said yes.”

Maureen went into Blackpool Victoria Hospital on Wednesday evening to have the jab and she said the whole experience was painless.

She said: “It was fine and not a problem at all. They have everything worked out and I went through the main entrance and there was a chap there who sent us straight through to the place where it was. It was all organised well.

“Altogether from leaving my home in Poulton and parking up and all the rest of it was less than an hour, we were in the hospital for about half an hour at the most and that includes waiting a quarter of an hour after you’ve had it.

“There was a few young people there for vaccines and I was probably the oldest but I think a lot were care home workers.”

Maureen said she was not fazed or worried about having the injection and counts herself as one of the luckiest people to have been received it early.

She said: “I was very glad to have it at my age. My arm aches slightly but that is it really and anyone does with a jab anyway.

Maureen, who has four daughters, 12 grandchildren and became a great-grandmother for the sixth time in September, now has to wait until New Years Eve for her second vaccine injection but the whole process was explained to her by the Vic’s nurses.

She said: “They have given me a big leaflet with everything on it telling me what it is and what it isn’t.

“I still need to take precautions with only having the first one I suppose.”

“They did ask me if I had ever had a shock from injections because I’ve always had my flu jab and I’ve never had any reactions from that so I just took it for granted that I would be fine.

“I’m sure some people will probably worry but the majority of the people who were there at the same time as me were very happy.”

Maureen also advised that people shouldn’t be criticising the vaccine and recommends everyone to get it when they can.

She said: “I think it’s worth having definitely and it’s not worth taking the risk of catching Covid. I think it’s silly not to have it but that is up to other people isn’t it.

“I know it’s not well known and it is a new vaccine, but I think it’s worth the risk and you take a chance definitely.

Maureen is now looking forward to seeing her family and friends again in the new year.

She said: “I’ve got a lot of daughters who live quite away so I am looking forward to seeing them like I used to. My eldest daughter Marina lives on the same street as me so she has been part of my bubble from the start.

“Although, it has been rotten this year being stuck in the house and very boring. The days have been very long.

“They have said that by January 6 I should be wel0l and truly cleared by then. I’ll be anybodys by then!”

Maureen has recently got a new dog, after her previous companion Cap passed away during lockdown.

She said two-year-old corgi cross Moti has been keeping her from going “completely bored”.

She said: “He has come from Romania and he is quiet a character. He’s named after a footballer I believe. He’s a bit strong but he keeps me on my feet in this day and age.

“I try to get out as much as I can but I can’t go out much. I still drive and I go into Poulton to do a little bit of shopping now and then when we’re allowed of course.”