‘I GAVE THE WORLD’S FIRST COVID-19 VACCINE’
May Parsons, 42, has worked as a nurse within the NHS since 2003, after moving to the UK from the Philippines. In December 2020, she made history when she administered the world’s first COVID-19 vaccine outside of clinical trials. She is currently the Modern Matron for Respiratory at University Hospitals in Coventry. She lives in Warwickshire with her husband and two children.
We were all scared when the pandemic hit, in March 2020. But when I trained to be a nurse, I made a commitment to help people, and fear was not going to stop me. Because of my experience in respiratory care, I volunteered to work in the ITU (intensive care unit).
For six weeks, I witnessed what can only be described as a clinical war zone. Every day was filled with fear, helplessness and despair. It was so traumatic I
