William "Bill" Shakespeare — who became a symbol of hope in COVID-ravaged United Kingdom when he received the Pfizer vaccine — has died of a stroke unrelated to the jab.
Mr Shakespeare, from Warwickshire, was 81 when he became the second person, and first man, in the UK to receive a coronavirus vaccine outside a clinical trial.
Margaret Keenan, 91, was the UK's first person to be vaccinated.
Mr Shakespeare's distinctive name made a national identity when he received the jab at Coventry University Hospital in December.
He said at the time that his jab was "groundbreaking".
"It could make a difference to our lives from now on, couldn't it?" he said.
The father-of two and grandfather-of-four died peacefully last Thursday in Coventry.
"Bill was so grateful for being offered the opportunity to become one of the first people in the world to be given the vaccine," said his widow, Joy.
"It was something he was hugely proud of. He loved seeing the media coverage and the positive difference he was able to make to the lives of so many.
"He often talked to people about it and would always encourage everyone to get their vaccine whenever he could."
Mr Shakespeare and Ms Keenan got their landmark shots shortly after Britain became the first Western nation to approve a vaccine against COVID-19.
At the time, UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the deployment of the vaccine meant there was "light at the end of the tunnel" for Britain.
Mr Shakespeare's death comes almost four months after the passing of another symbol of resilience in the face of the pandemic — Captain Sir Tom Moore.
Captain Sir Tom raised millions of pounds for the National Health Service in the early days of the crisis by completing 100 laps of his backyard with the help of a walking frame.
In February, he died aged 100 after contracting the virus.
ABC/wires
