Queen Elizabeth II and her 99-year-old husband, Prince Philip, may be among the first in the UK to get a coronavirus vaccine to help counter anti-vaxxers, according to a report Sunday.
At 94, the monarch joins her husband in being the most vulnerable groups first in line for the Pfizer/BioNTec shot as it rolls out Tuesday in the UK, the first western nation to give approval.
But she may do so early and “let it be known” to help allay the nation’s safety fears and counter the anti-vaccination movement there, royal aides told The Sunday Times of London.
It would not be the first such move, the UK paper noted. In 1957, the Queen made public that her children Prince Charles and Princess Anne — then 8 and 6 — had been given the then-new shot for polio, which is said to have eased public concern and helped millions decide to get inoculated.
The Sunday Times said that “delicate discussions have been held at the highest level of government” about how best to use public figures to encourage people to get the new vaccine.
Royal aides insisted to the UK paper that it was a “personal decision” and “private matter” as to whether the Queen would get the shot, but she would likely “let it be known” afterward.
Her son Charles — the 72-year-old heir to the throne — and grandson Prince William are among the most high-profile UK survivors of coronavirus infections.
