Availability for the first batches of COVID-19 vaccines is almost within reach following the announcement that Pfizer developed a vaccine candidate with 90 percent effectiveness. The U.K. government is in the process of procuring Pfizer's product but it also declared that there will be no special treatment on who shall be inoculated first.
Royal fans, however, insisted that Queen Elizabeth and some members of the royal family, such as the Duke of Edinburgh and Prince Charles, must be in front of the queue for the COVID-19 vaccine. They said that the Queen deserves to be first because of her years of service and duty to the British people.
Royal journalist Charlie Proctor said on Twitter that allowing the Queen to receive the vaccine first will also demonstrate that it is a safe process. The royals could also set an example for the rest of the public to follow.
According to the guidelines from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), the first people to receive the vaccine in the U.K. are those staying at home care facilities, including their carers. Queen Elizabeth, Prince Philip, and those above 80 years old will be the second group to receive the vaccine followed by over 75, over 70, and over 65 high-risk adults.
Prince Charles, who is turning 72 on Nov. 14 but is considered physically fit, will be fourth in the order of priority. Prince William will belong to the 11th group or the last in the demographics to receive the inoculation.
As of Monday, the U.K. apparently laid out its mass vaccination program to the public following Pfizer's announcement. England's Department of Health said that it will ascertain there will be enough vaccines for the British people as it also signed procurement deals with AstraZeneca and Oxford University.
In the British royal family, Prince Charles contracted the virus at the height of the enforcement of lockdowns in March. The Prince of Wales confirmed his diagnosis after arriving in Scotland from London to isolate.
Fortunately, Prince Charles had mild COVID-19 symptoms only. He recovered from his illness after a week but admitted that his senses of taste and smell were slightly affected.
In November, word got out that Prince William had the virus between late March and early April as well. However, he didn't make his condition public until seven months later because he apparently didn't want his condition to cause more worries.
Prince Charles was just recovering from COVID-19 when Prince William became positive for the virus. Prime Minister Boris Johnson was also sick with COVID-19 and had to receive care at the ICU.
