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The tiny isolated island of Ascension in the South Atlantic Ocean could “become the first island to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19,” the British military said on Friday.

The island – a British overseas territory – has a population of just over 800.

At least 1,950 doses of the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine arrived in Ascension earlier this week on a special Royal Air Force support flight.

Staff at the island’s Georgetown hospital began administering the vaccine, and the first people to get the vaccine were hospital worker Sylvia Isaac and her husband Mervyn.

In a statement, Ms Isaac said: “I feel very privileged to be able to receive this vaccine” and that the “vaccination itself was quick and painless”.

“We hope this vaccine will protect us from the worst effects of COVID-19, and also help protect family, friends and the rest of the community,” she said.

Given the number of inhabitants that the government of Ascension Island expects, “that the first doses will be administered to all those offered to him by the end of next week.”

Governor Philip Rushbrook of Ascension said, “I am happy to be at Ascension at this time to see firsthand the arrival and distribution of vaccines.”

“I would like to personally thank everyone involved in achieving this goal.” And said the vaccine delivery, “represents the culmination of hard work in several departments of the UK government, the RAF and within the Ascension Island government.”

Royal Air Force Flight Officer George Cox, cargo commander, said: “Places like Ascension Island are notoriously difficult to access.

The vaccines arrived on an A400M Atlas cargo plane because “the RAF can go to remote places that commercial planes cannot necessarily access,” Flying Officer Cox said.

Where is the Ascension? A 33 square mile volcanic island, Ascension, is approximately 1,000 miles from the African coast and 1,400 miles from Brazil. Their nearest neighbors are on the island of Saint Helena, 700 miles to the north.

Ascension Island is part of the overseas territory of the United Kingdom of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha and has its own Constitution, is autonomous and makes its own laws.