Queen asks people 'to think about others' if hesitant about Covid jab
The Queen spoke with health ministers about the vaccine rollout. Pictured before her Christmas broadcast at 2020. - Credit: PA
The Queen is encouraging those hesitant about vaccination to "think about other people rather than themselves" as she spoke of her own experience of being inoculated.
Queen Elizabeth II, who received her first coronavirus vaccine dose in January, spoke with health leaders delivering the vaccine across the four nations in an online meeting on Tuesday.
She said the vaccine rollout, which has seen 18m adults receive their first dose, as "remarkable".
Dr Emily Lawson, who is leading the vaccine deployment programme for the NHS in England, told the Queen: "We hope everyone who is offered the vaccine will take it up, because it is... all of our best chances to protect both the people who take up the vaccine, their families and their communities."
The head of state replied: "Once you've had the vaccine you have a feeling of, you know, you're protected, which is, I think, very important.
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"I think the other thing is that it is obviously difficult for people if they've never had a vaccine...but they ought to think about other people rather than themselves."
She added: "I think it is remarkable how quickly the whole thing has been done and so many people have had the vaccine already.
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Buckingham Palace, which rarely comments on the private health matters of the monarch, announced in January the 94-year-old head of state and the Duke of Edinburgh, 99, had been vaccinated.
The Queen decided the information should be made public to prevent inaccuracies and further speculation.
In the conference, the Queen 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.
"It didn't hurt at all."
Across Norfolk and Waveney, 40.1pc of the area's overall adult population has now had their first dose, the fourth highest rate in the country.
Data shows 341,600 patients have now had one dose of the vaccine, including 100pc of people aged 75-79, 96pc of people aged 80 or over and 94pc of people aged 70-75.
