Queen Elizabeth, Philip to get Covid vaccine in weeks, will get no preferential treatment: 'They will wait in line'
The Covid-19 vaccine has been a priority for many world leaders since the virus hit, but as for the Royals, they are front and center when it comes to public encouragement. According to a Daily Mail article, Queen Elizabeth II, 94, and Prince Philip, 99, will have to "wait in line" as the injections are administered - they will get no "preferential treatment".
The royals are getting the vaccine on the advice of their doctors with experts in the field think that if they "go public" that would help with the accuracy of information. The Pfizer and BioNTech vaccines last week were approved by the UK’s drug regulation body and the NHS will be administering the first doses to "care home population and carers first" - those above the age of 80 and frontline healthcare staff will be after. This will be followed by other elders and those "vulnerable" clinically, followed by the rest of the individuals based on age criteria. The Mail also reported that the head of Oxford's immunization program said that trials for the vaccine for pregnant women will start in the summer.
The article further reported that "discussions" about what roles Prince Charles and Prince William will play when it comes to the vaccine program is "underway". With that comes a breach of medical records, something the courtiers are concerned about along with the fact the princes' roles in "publicising" the program could politicize the family. It has also been revealed, by the Mail, that in order to keep favouritism at bay, senior members of the Royal Family will also be "offered" the coronavirus vaccines. It was also said that the royals will reveal that they have been given the vaccine to "encourage more people to take up the vital jab" as experts also worry that people might be influenced by anti-vaxxers.
This would not be the first time the Queen would take a vaccine, as she revealed that in 1957 she had taken the polio vaccine. Yahoo! reported that on Wednesday that Britain gave "emergency approval" to the Pfizer and BioNTech coronavirus vaccines and that the criteria were based on "age and vulnerability" when it came to deciding the order at which individuals would be administered the vaccine. The publication also reported that the country has pre-ordered 40 million doses of the vaccine and will receive the first 800,000 batches for next week.
Reportedly, Buckingham Palace and Whitehall are discussing the roles of the family in the vaccination drive, with the Mail reporting the officials are "debating" if celebrities like Sir David Attenborough and Dame Judi Dench could push forward with the program. William and Kate, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, will wait until next year to take the vaccine, as that is the time that the individuals in their 30's will be administered with it. In fact, Prince William had visited a research laboratory at Oxford University that was developing the vaccine. He also acknowledged their work by thanking them after it was proven to be 90% effective.