Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip are among the first people to get vaccinated against COVID-19 in the U.K. due to their age risks but Her Majesty and the Duke of Edinburgh might have to wait in line for a few weeks.
The first shots of the Pfizer/BioNTec will be distributed in the UK Tuesday. However, the royals will not receive preferential treatment. The first doses are going to the home care sector and health care workers.
The Queen and Philip will also need to wait for advice from royal doctors. However, the Pfizer/BioNTec COVID-19 vaccines have a 90% to 95% efficacy rate, according to clinical studies.
A Buckingham Palace source said medical matters among the royals are private and personal.
Royal aides, however, told The Sunday Times the Queen will tell the public she has been vaccinated because it may help alleviate fears about vaccine safety and counter anti-vaccination groups.
It won't be the first time the Queen makes a public announcement about vaccination. In 1957, she said Prince Charles and Princess Anne, then eight and 6 years old, were vaccinated against polio. Reports said the statement helped millions of people to follow suit.
Meanwhile, the Queen has been isolated at Windsor Castle since March. She canceled royal Christmas plans at Sandringham and is looking forward to spending a quiet holiday with her husband.
Whitehall and Buckingham Palace are in discussions over whether the royals must be part of the nationwide vaccination drive. The National Health Service is looking to the royals and celebrities to promote the vaccine.
Some 40 million Pfizer/BioNTech vaccines were pre-ordered by the government and 800,000 of these will kick off the vaccination drive Tuesday.
Second in line for vaccinations are those 80 and older. This group includes the Queen and Philip.
By Monday hospitals across the U.K. will have the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccines - which arrived from the pharmaceutical company's Belgium plant last week.
The U.K. is the first country to approve and clear the vaccine for public use. The country has also invested in its own vaccine developed by Oxford scientists but yet to receive clearance.
