Prince William receives first dose of COVID-19 vaccine
Britain's Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge, has received his first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. The 38-year-old prince contracted coronavirus last year.
William, the grandson of Queen Elizabeth II and second-in-line to the British throne, revealed on Twitter on Thursday morning that he got his first shot earlier this week, along with a picture of the moment. Last week, Britain opened its national vaccination program to anyone over the age of 34.
"On Tuesday I received my first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine," the official account for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge tweeted.
"To all those working on the vaccine rollout - thank you for everything you've done and continue to do."
On Tuesday I received my first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
— The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (@KensingtonRoyal) May 20, 2021
To all those working on the vaccine rollout - thank you for everything you’ve done and continue to do. pic.twitter.com/8QP6ao5fEb
William revealed in November that he was sick with COVID-19 in April 2020, around the same time that his father, Prince Charles, also contracted the virus. British media reported at the time that he was treated by palace doctors and isolated at home, and that he was struggling to breathe at one point.
Both Queen Elizabeth and Prince Charles have also gotten the vaccine.
"Once you've had a vaccine you have a feeling of, you're protected, which is, I think, very important and, as far as I could make out, it was quite harmless," the queen said in February, after receiving her shot. "It is obviously difficult for people if they've never had a vaccine, but they ought to think about other people rather than themselves."
"It was very quick, and I've had lots of letters from people who have been very surprised by how easy it was to get the vaccine," she said. "And the jab – it didn't hurt at all."