Martha Stewart 'excited' about receiving vaccine

Lifestyle maven Martha Stewart, who at 79 is among New York State residents of eligible age for the COVID-19 vaccine, received hers on Monday and thanked health care workers operating under the deluge of demand.

"I was vaccinated today in a designated vaccine pod near the Martha Stewart Center for Living at Mount Sinai Downtown," Stewart wrote on Instagram, referring to one of two geriatric-care centers she helped found in Manhattan. "I am so proud of and grateful to the doctors, nurses and medical staff who are wading through the red tape and confusion of the distribution of these very important vaccines. I am excited to have received my dosage and look forward to the booster."

Captioning a few seconds of soundless video of a medical worker swabbing Stewart's arm and preparing to give the vaccine, the author and TV personality went on to say, "The doctors told me 10,000 applications were received by Mount Sinai right after the state released this batch of vaccines. Here's to the advancement of science and a heartfelt thanks to those working on the vaccines. We are all hoping for an end to this pandemic."

She added, "To allay your concerns that I jumped the line know that I am in the approved age group for this batch of vaccines and I waited in line with others."

"Bravo Martha," commented celebrity chef Daniel Boulud. "Grey's Anatomy" star Ellen Pompeo wrote admiringly, "Love you!!!!"

Also recently vaccinated was TV icon Joan Collins, 87, who wrote on social media that on Saturday, she had received the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, one of three developed alongside those of Moderna and, jointly, Pfizer and BioNTech. Speaking on "Good Morning Britain" Monday, she assured "anybody who is worried about it, there is nothing to worry about. … It was just like a little scratch and there was no pain at all. And I had no after effects. And I felt absolutely fine and I went home and I had a drink, even."

Britain's Queen Elizabeth II, 94, and her husband, Prince Philip, 99, also received vaccinations Saturday, announced Buckingham Palace. And on Tuesday, the BBC reported that naturalist David Attenborough, 94, received the vaccine on a recent unspecified date.