In a rare public discussion, the Queen has recently spoken of her experience of receiving the Covid-19 vaccine. The monarch, who rarely discusses her health in public, also took the opportunity to urge hesitant members of the public to have their Covid jabs to help protect others.
The Queen spoke quite candidly about receiving her jab, which she received alongside the Duke of Edinburgh last month. Her Majesty spoke via video link to health officials who are delivering the vaccine across the UK.
Vaccine was “quick and harmless”
When asked about her own experience of the Covid vaccine, she described it as 'quick' and 'harmless'. She said receiving the vaccine did not hurt at all, something that has been echoed by millions of others who have had their first doses.
The Queen and the Duke were in one of the first groups to receive the vaccination because of their ages.
In response to a question about having the vaccine, Her Majesty said, "Well, as far as I can make out it was quite harmless. It was very quick, and I've had lots of letters from people who've been very surprised by how easy it was to get the vaccine."
The public should think about other people rather than themselves
One thing the monarch seemed determined to do was to encourage members of the public to get their vaccinations. At present, many are hesitant about getting the jab, with a lot of people refusing or not turning up to appointments. This could prove to be a big step backwards in the fight against Covid.
During the chat, the Queen said it was important for those who were hesitant about getting the vaccine to think about other people rather than themselves. She added that she realized it could be a difficult experience for some people but that it was important to ensure that people did not endanger the health of others.
A vote of confidence from the monarch
One health official, Dr Emily Lawson, described the Queen's comments as being a vital vote of confidence for the vaccination programme. She hopes that those who were on the fence about having the vaccination will take heed of the monarch and step forward to have their jabs.
Her Majesty made the comments after some bleak figures were released regarding the take-up of vaccines. According to Nadhim Zahawi, the vaccines minister for the UK, between 11-15% of people across the nation are hesitant about getting their jabs. This is proving to be a particular issue within black and ethnic minority areas.
Image Credit: Kelly Sikkema at Unsplash
