UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Friday received the Oxford-AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine.

Johnson received his first dose of the vaccine at St Thomas' Hospital in London. It is the same facility where he was treated in intensive care in April 2020 after contracting COVID-19.

"I literally did not feel a thing and so it was very good, very quick and I cannot recommend it too highly. Everybody when you get your notification please go and get your jab," the 56-year-old told journalists as he left the hospital.

Johnson is one of more than 26 million people in the UK who have received a first dose, according to government data.

He made good on his world that he would be getting the AstraZeneca vaccine, as he addressed the news some European countries had suspended use of the vaccine following concerns about blood clots.

Several European countries had partially or fully suspended use of the AstraZeneca vaccine due to the issue about blood clots. However, some, like France, Germany and Italy, have since restarted their vaccine programmes with the jab after the European drug regulator ruled it was "safe and effective".

Other world leaders to have received a COVID vaccine include U.S. President Joe Biden, India's Narendra Modi, Indonesia's Joko Widodo, Turkey's Recep Erdogan, Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu and Saudi Arabia's King Salman.

(With input from agencies)