Queen Elizabeth urges people to get COVID-19 vaccine: "It didn't hurt at all"
Britain's 94-year-old Queen Elizabeth has spoken publicly for the first time since her husband, 99-year-old Prince Philip, entered the hospital over a week ago. The queen encouraged people to get their COVID-19 vaccinations, telling them to "think about other people."
The monarch and her husband received their coronavirus shots at their Windsor Castle residence last month. Their age put them in the priority group for the country's vaccine rollout.
"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 a video call with U.K. health officials overseeing vaccine delivery.
"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."
The Queen has spoken to health officials leading the deployment of the COVID-19 vaccine across the four nations of the UK.
— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) February 25, 2021
Her Majesty heard about the vital importance of ensuring all communities have access to the vaccine, and shared her own experience. pic.twitter.com/Cululfsh4y
Over 18.6 million Brits have received at least one shot of the COVID-19 vaccine, which the queen called "remarkable." However, U.K. vaccine minister Nadhim Zahawi said this week that between 11% and 15% of people were hesitant to get the 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," said the queen.
The queen's comments come as concern grows over the health of Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh. He was admitted to a hospital in London last week for an unspecified infection, and palace officials have released few details on his condition.
On Tuesday, their youngest son Prince Edward said his father was "a lot better." This week, Prince William also said his grandfather was "okay" and that the hospital is "keeping an eye on him."