Nation to begin vaccinating its population against the coronavirus its also the 1st country using the buy and take 5 vaccine the 1st shot went to a 90 year old friend. Germanys eastern state of saxony has become the latest state to expand its lock down schools and most businesses to close a Living Health institution now says germany should consider a hot lockdown beginning Christmas Eve. British Prime MinisterBarak Johnson will travel to brussels on wednesday in a final push for a post to break the trade deal with the e. U. Meanwhile london has withdrawn some of its breadth of legislation that reneged on an earlier agreement in a move seen as a positive jester. This is day to day news from ben then you can follow us on twitter and instagram at the news website at www dot com. Medical history was written today it happened at 631 this morning in coventry england 90 year old Margaret Keenan rolled up the sleeve of her Merry Christmas t. Shirt looked at the nurse holding the syringe and said go for it was the 1st shot in the 1st Mass Vaccination Program using a clinically tested vaccine against a corona virus todays injections are no shot in the dark more like points of light that in time will in this long and dark winter the winter that is this pandemic im in berlin this is the day. Time for peace how can. You talk about the people coming around. Any particular march or april would have given anything. To make them and they found. Nothing i cant wait to take that route because. Also coming up 4 decades ago a gunman shot and killed the senior and former beatles member john lennon tonight the man whose music and its message how do they sound and translate in our world 40 years on. The lead and thats one of the make. And what happened. Well to our viewers on p. B. S. In the United States into our viewers all around the world welcome we begin the day with a mammoth medical marvel taking place in the u. K. A race to protect as many people as possible from a virus that less than one year ago was unknown and unnamed today the u. K. Became the 1st country to begin a Mass Vaccination Program against the corona virus that causes covert 19th the 1st country to use a vaccine that has been clinically and fully tested the vaccine administered today was developed and tested at an unprecedented speed by the german firm buy on tech in the u. S. From a pseudocode giant pfizer it received approval in the u. K. Last week since then 800000. 00 doses have been transported at south pole like temperatures to 50 hospitals nations are watching and hoping to roll out their own vaccination soon as the virus continues to claim wives every day by the thousands we have this report tonight beginning in england. With one prick the largest Vaccination Campaign in the history of the u. K. Was launched. 90 year old margaret chain was chosen to be the 1st recipient and she played the role with grace and gratitude. I say go for the 51st state its free and its the best thing thats ever happened. To me. Do you think suffering. From london to edinburgh thousands of elderly patients were vaccinated on what the government dubbed the day the u. K. Has secured 800000 doses to be administered in the coming weeks. British Prime MinisterBoris Johnson visited a London Hospital where staff were administering some of the 1st jabs. What i would say is that there are those on the street who. Feel that a back seat is something they need to. Be sick leave the ideological reasons for medical reasons i think that. I need that theyre made to people who cant and so its empty boxes its just taking the approach i could see its the right thing to do its good for you and its good for the whole good. It wasnt just a big moment for the british that same vaccine developed by by on tech pfizer is set to be rolled out in europe and the us pending approval there that could be a matter of weeks. But many other countries are pinning their immunization hopes on china chinese authorities are preparing a massive rollout of their own coronavirus vaccines beijing is already negotiating sales to countries in asia the middle east and latin america theyve even sent out the 1st shipments. For more im joined now by dr on carr so how did he as chair of the London AssemblyHealth Committee dr so heard its good to have you on the program i understand your Committee Found out via a survey that a quarter of londoners are unlikely to get the vaccine do we know why that is. But of course with this this figure is consistent with other surveys also the 25 Percent People who dont want to be actually in the end the reason they quote half of them quote the reason being that they dont trust the government or they dont trust the type of Drug Companies get up people who believe that this is a vaccine doesnt exist right all the buyers of the exist but of course we need to win them over and we need to reassure them that this is a safe vaccine it can be stated liver and is a game changer in the fight against pivotal back to the big over 19 pandemic m how do you plan to convince these skeptics that they should get the vaccine i think is an exercise in Public Communications we need to reassure them this is a safe we need to make sure that people are expanded the risks of the head of that scene and reassure them that this is safe about tested lets not forget some of the 44000 people have already had the vaccine before its been given glasses and the red acid has been given by the independent regulatory authorities theres been tested by an independent body who looked at all the evidence its been trying to whom beings is safe and ive every trust in the vaccine and i think he can reassure us and communicate this information to all the public what about the argument that this is these vaccinations are the beginning of the end of this pandemic i mean that should be a convincing argument should. Absolutely i think the only thing we had so far was social distance that was the only tool we had but this is a game changer by giving the vaccine were going to do 2 things one is we could have kept ourselves the 2nd things will continue other people in the community because once you know that finishing the life of such a population that is the vaccinated you get whats called herd immunity so when you take the vaccine you yourself and you have in your community and what how long do you think it will take before we get to that level of herd immunity. Well of course that differs from different the difference is for me though is that 95 percent 80 percent we dont know what the field with all these betting said and i suspect theyll take about 89 months to get there i suspect that well have vaccinated the most people by the by i made you know this yet and get off that was the but i think of kate move us about next 9 months to get to the head of energy dr on car so to chair of the London Assembly help committee we appreciate your time and your insights tonight thank you think about it the u. K. Mass Vaccination Program comes as the buyers is surging yet again from a midsummer viral madness to the winter of our discontent how befitting that today the 2nd person to be given the new vaccine was an 81 year old pensioner who goes by the name William Shakespeare shakespeare received his jab at a hospital in coventry not far from where englands great dramatist him poet was born the famous name inspired some wits with comments like the taming of the flu and the 2 gentlemen of corona. Some asked if the woman who received the 1st jab if she was patient one day then was shakespear patient to be or not to be. Here in germany the countrys top scientists are recommending a much tougher campaign to stop the coronavirus one that does not allow any exceptions for christmas or new years today the countrys National Academy of sciences known as leopold dinas said the government should consider a 2 week nationwide hard lockdown starting on december 24th several states including bavaria have already announced curfews and stay at home orders. With the Christmas Shopping season in full swing many people are probably thinking more about presents than hospitals but statistics say more than 4000 patients are being treated for cope with 19 and germanys intensive care units due to a tiny number of infections saxony has taken a decisive step in these an essentially schools and Daycare Centers will be closed from this monday december 14th. Germanys influential National Academy of sciences leopold diena recommended that the Holiday Season be used to impose a heart lockdown across the country and this would include lifting the otherwise Compulsory School attendance from december 14th and banning all groups sporting and cultural events access to public spaces would also be more restricted from christmas until at least january 10th and beneath trees and and in fact if we do not shut down and the infection numbers continue to climb then we will probably have to impose even stricter measures for an even longer period this lockdown as a kind of investment also in the economy so that we can ease restrictions again in january or february the chairman of the state premier conferences calling for new subsidies programs should businesses be forced to shut down again. To the programs we already have would certainly have to be more flexible so that businesses that are affected by further measures can also be covered by the support programs and a meeting between the federal and state governments concluded that the states can unilaterally impose stricter measures. Well im joined now by professor ralph head think he is a psychologist and one of the coauthors of the report that was published today professor i think its good to have you on the day your report calls for tougher restrictions or calls for a harder walk now thats what chancellor Angela Merkel wanted weeks ago shes a scientist so are you are you confident that the countrys other political leaders will follow the science this time. Present already winning im more confident than i was a week ago and i think you can already see the 1st signs you just recorded of saxony and similarly in the oreo they are also pretty harsh measures announced but mostly i believe that the numbers are very powerful and speak for themselves and i do think that i do hope that the political leaders will heed the audience here of science and medicine to the numbers you know the the current plan here in germany would allow an easing of restrictions between christmas and the new year your recommendation calls for this hard walk down to be implemented on december 24th christmas scene why is that. Yes correct actually what we are proposing is the 2 step procedure locked on we already started before teams and the idea there is that if you start with the knock on the 24th you may entering the family possibly with symptoms and with the virus so actually the people who really want to see there are enough ones to think about self finding themselves 10 days before the 24th and the reason is obvious that christmas and we are doing all the things that are we to reduce it to the spread of the virus very close together and your insight eating together we are possibly seeing together and that of course president. And at the same time the very same period also present is a huge opportunity because in general own life is being celebrated shops are close and we tend to be a toll so in a way these tunnels and presents itself as a great opportunity to actually have a knock down you know way that at the same time we can at the same time we can appreciate the things that we would otherwise appreciate christmas let me ask you about the psychology of this pandemic perhaps youve noticed here in berlin that this year more homes and apartments are decorated for christmas much earlier than usual light in this very dark season what does this tell you about. The desire for hope and the Mental Health of the public after a year of this pandemic. But im not sure that i would read too much into it i think at the same time we also know that we all became kind of interior decorators and holmy chris because were spending so much more time inside and at the same time its also true is that in times of uncertainty and this really a ton of uncertainty we also like rituals of the rituals we like to do what we always do because the personal to some extent safety. Possibly i think that is me the more reflection off the uncertainty around us and also much unnecessary almost healthy and i want to pick up on this point you made about christmas if people are going to get together with family that they should quarantine or isolate for 10 days is that realistic most people i think would say that they cant isolate for 10 days. The idea here is that he made a very very firm effort to really mean most the context that we have and the way that could be made possible is for instance trying to read him work from home which requires for instance that employers to really encourage the use to work from home the same holds for Compulsory School attendance we are giving people an heiress to choice to not send their kids to school but for kids to be homeschooled and in that sense we do everything we tend to make it more possible that people can really use it anymore as the context they have 10 days to christmas relf had think of germanys leopold an academy of sciences mr have if we appreciate your time in your insights tonight thank you as well better thank you. Oh my next guest is professor Andrew Oldman hes a member of the German Parliament and the Advisory Board the g. 8 j. The German Health alliance dr owen is good to have you on the program again this is the german governments leading Scientific Advisory body today sending a clear message that we need a harder walked they want it the german trance or has been warning it for weeks what about the other political leaders are there are they going to finally listen to the science where i think that thank you for 1st of all for having me back again but i think its not a question of seeing the signs or appreciating the increase of infection rates in germany i think everybody is aware of that and nobodys putting this into question and the question the real question is how we could how should we approach the situation it is a pandemic a crisis that is very serious. Measures have to be taken however many politicians have different ways to approach this problem and one of the ways you could do it is make it very easy everybody goes into lockdown and then everything is fine but the Collateral Damage that is done psychologically and economically how to be put into the equation as well so the National Academy of sciences put out a very strong paper of their opinion scientifically it was more weak paper to be on as i say this as a scientist myself i would have liked to see a lot more explanations besides we need to go into a lockdown bar youre in the countries that did that or are you in favor though of what is recommended that being a harder walk down beginning on Christmas Eve december 24th. Im in favor of about 80 percent whats written in that paper which is already in effect in germany that has to be followed because what we have as a problem in germany and this was actually addressed in this paper from the National Academy of science that we control of the implementation of quarantine measures are not being done in germany other white scale and if we do not control quarantine or isolation measures then well even a hard lock down would help us to stop the infection rates so i think everything has to be put into this caution and we need a wider discussion it is not simply done really really now scientists throughout germany basically clinicians and left people put out this paper but again i think there are other countries in the world that did better for example taiwan or south korea thats true thats true but they have a much stricter follow up when it comes to quarantine as you say which we dont have here in germany are you finding Political Support then to take on measures that some people would consider to be a violation of personal privacy well personal privacy. And a secondary role with our Infection Control laws in germany because its the public to the official Public Health institute if you are infected the problem is that the manpower is missing to control those people who are got infected or even here in berlin i heard about stories that people were sent to quarantine 14 days after they had their disease far too late and they probably had cause more infections that he set up i would be very much in favor of more control of those measures all right dr Andrew Allman its always our throne and we appreciate your time and your insights tonight thank you. Thank you for having me again. This was john lennon in his adopted hometown of new york city where he spent much of his adult life and where his wife ended 40 years ago today outside his luxury Apartment Building a gunman shot and killed blend in front of his wife next door in central park is where lynns ashes were later scanned 2 2. Well for more on lennons legacy im joined tonight by Lesley Ann Jones shes of music biographer and author of the book who killed john lennon its good to have you on the program l