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The Queen, 94, and Prince Philip, 99, will be among the first to receive the coronavirus vaccine due to their age. But sources say the couple will not get preferential treatment and will have to “stand in line” like everyone else.
The government said priority would be given to residents and staff of nursing homes, followed by NHS staff, frontline health and social workers and people over 80.
As a result, several weeks could pass before the Queen and Prince Philip receive the vaccine, according to the Mail on Sunday.
In light of this, Express.co.uk asks readers: “Should Queen have priority access to lead by example?”
Royal aides said receiving the vaccine was a “personal decision” and a “private matter,” but the palace is expected to issue a statement after receiving the drug.
Indeed, the Queen’s public support for the vaccine would deliver a powerful message to the British public and help counter anti-vaccination misinformation circulating online.
It wouldn’t be the first time the monarch has thrown its weight behind an innovative drug.
In 1957, the Queen announced that Prince Charles and Princess Anne, then aged eight and six, had been vaccinated against polio.
The move helped allay concerns about the potential side effects of what was then a new vaccine and prompted millions of people to get their children vaccinated.
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It is believed that the rest of the Royal Family will receive the vaccine when their age group is called up.
Prince Charles, 72, and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, 73, are expected to be in the fourth priority group for the first wave of inoculations.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, both 38, are lower on the list and are not expected to receive the shot until the second wave of vaccinations, which are expected to take place at some point next year.
Buckingham Palace and Whitehall are reportedly discussing whether the Royal Family will participate in a nationwide vaccination campaign to help dispel misinformation about the drug.
Earlier this week, the UK drug regulator approved the Pfizer and BioNTech vaccine for public use.
The drug was found to be 95% effective in preventing coronavirus after its second dose.
The NHS will launch the vaccine to those at the top of the list next week.
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