Sir Ian McKellen gets vaccinated against COVID-19 By Zach Harper COVID-19 shall not pass! Sir Ian McKellen has become one of the first celebrities in the world to be vaccinated against the novel coronavirus, receiving a shot on Dec. 16. The beloved Lord of the Rings star got his first dose of the Pfizer vaccine at Queen Mary's University Hospital in London, and said he was "euphoric." "Anyone who has lived as long as I have is alive because they have had previous vaccinations," the 81-year-old wrote on Instagram. I feel very lucky to have had the vaccine. I would have no hesitation in recommending it to anyone.