Sir Ian McKellen Enthusiastically Receives COVID-19 Vaccine

Legendary gay actor Sir Ian McKellen is among the latest to get the new vaccine for the COVID-19 virus.

The 81-year-old star of the Lord of The Rings and X-Men movies said he's feeling "euphoric" after getting his first dose of the vaccine from Pfizer.

"Next time I come, well no, six days after I next come I'm going to give them all a big hug - is that allowed? I don't know," he laughed.

He also praised Britain's National Health Service and vaccines in general. "Anyone who has lived as long as I have is alive because they have had previous vaccinations," he said.

"Of course, I know I wouldn't be alive if it wasn't for the NHS," McKellen continued, "I'm a little bit older than the NHS but when I was a kid, having good medical treatment available when it was needed - what a wonderful notion."

"I feel very lucky to have had the vaccine," he tweeted, "I would have no hesitation in recommending it to anyone." And that's exactly what he did.

McKellen said he would "encourage everybody to do the sensible thing, not just for themselves, but for everybody else."

In the U.K., health care workers, those living in care homes, and the elderly are the first to be receiving the vaccine. Twenty-one days after the initial injection, patients will receive a booster shot.

With news of several vaccines being approved across the globe, many are finally starting to feel some hope after what's been one of the darkest years in many of our memories.