Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip had their first shot of the COVID-19 vaccine over the weekend at Windsor Castle as administered by the royal household doctor and it's supposed to send a "strong message" for anti-vaxxers.
Though Buckingham Palace did not reveal the kind of vaccine given to the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh, there have been speculations that the royal couple had the British-made Oxford/AstraZeneca version. The 94-year-old monarch and her 99-year-old husband are the second and third royals in Europe to have the vaccine, after 80-year-old Queen Margrethe from Denmark, who had her shot the week before.
An insider from Buckingham Palace said that Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip could have kept their vaccination private, but Her Majesty decided to reveal this medical procedure to stop the speculations. The source added that the Queen is very aware of the sentiments of those unwilling to have the vaccine. The monarch felt, however, that it was important to publicly show support for the scientists who have produced the vaccine in record time to put a stop to the deadly COVID-19.
The Queen's vaccination also shows the world that there is indeed hope after the pandemic. Throughout this unprecedented crisis, Queen Elizabeth has always assured the British public that they will overcome the coronavirus and that people's lives will go back to normal as families and friends meet gather in person again.
Queen Elizabeth has been isolating at Windsor Castle with Prince Philip since October. The couple spent a quiet Christmas together and did away with a royal family reunion because of the risks of virus transmission in such a big gathering.
Like the Queen, Pope Francis of the Roman Catholic Church, who is in his 80s, has publicly expressed he will get vaccinated in the coming weeks as well. Following the death of more than 1.9 million COVID-19 patients globally, many of whom are in their old age, the Queen and the Pope's declarations will help in the global vaccination campaign despite the naysayers.
Royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliam told Daily Express that Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip's vaccinations show that getting vaccinated is a safe and sensible thing to do in this public health crisis. He also expects that Prince Charles, 72, Camilla, 73, the Duchess of Cornwall, and Princess Anne, 70, will be next based on their age.
Prince Charles said that he would also publicly reveal if he got vaccinated but he knows he is not going to be a priority since he's not a high-risk individual. He did contract the virus in late March thus his body has COVID-19 antibodies that will continue to protect him from a re-infection. The Prince of Wales said that he might likely get the AstraZeneca vaccine.
