Queen Elizabeth II says people “ought to think about others” when it comes to receiving the COVID-19 vaccination.
The 94-year-old monarch and her husband Prince Philip, 99, have already received a vaccination against the potentially deadly virus, and as doses of the vaccine continue to be rolled out to the most vulnerable groups across the UK, she has urged those who are sceptical to consider how their actions may impact others.
Speaking in a video call to medical chiefs overseeing the vaccine rollout, the Queen said: “Once you’ve had the vaccine you have a feeling of, you know, you’re protected, which is I think very important.
“And the other thing is that it is obviously difficult for people if they’ve never had a vaccine or they’ve had to … but they ought to think about other people rather than themselves.”
And the royal also spoke about her own experience with the vaccine, insisting it “didn’t hurt at all”.
She added: “It was very quick, and I’ve had lots of letters from people who’ve been surprised by how easy it was to get the vaccine.”
The video call was made earlier this week to discuss how the vaccine rollout was working across the UK, and the Queen said she was amazed at “how quickly” the process was put together.
She said: “It has been very interesting hearing all about that.
“It is remarkable how quickly the whole thing has been done and so many people have had the vaccine.
“So you’ll have to keep up the good work. I’m very glad indeed to have had the chance to hear it all.”
Queen Elizabeth also compared the current pandemic to the plague, saying it’s a “strange battle” that’s taking place all over the world.
She said: “It is a bit like the plague, isn’t it?
“Because it’s not only here that we’ve got the virus but it’s everywhere. So it’s a strange battle that everybody’s actually fighting.”