The Queen and Prince Philip receive COVID-19 vaccine

A photo of Queen Elizabeth II on the Sandringham estate in 2014. Image from Wikimedia Commons

Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip were inoculated with the COVID-19 vaccine, a statement from Buckingham Palace can confirm.

"The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh have today received Covid-19 vaccinations," read the short statement.

The Queen, who is 94 years old, and Philip, who turns 100 this year, belong to the vulnerable age groups that have been prioritized by the British government to receive the vaccine. The decision to inform the public about the queen’s jab was to allay confusions and prevent the spread of any false information.

The inoculation was administered by a court doctor in the queen's Berkshire residence. It could be remembered that two high-profile members of the British Royal Family were infected by the virus. Prince Charles tested positive last March and immediately went into isolation. The heir to the throne experienced mild symptoms and managed to get “away with it quite lightly.” Meanwhile, his son and the second-in-line to the throne, Prince William, also contracted the disease in April although he remains mum about his diagnosis because he “didn’t want to worry anyone.”

Early this week, the queen’s Danish cousin, Queen Margrethe II, already received her dose of the vaccine.

The United Kingdom is severely hit by the coronavirus pandemic. So far, more than 1.5 million people in the country were already inoculated in what is considered the biggest immunisation roll-out which prioritizes the elderly, their carers and health workers. It is expected that the government would reach its target of vaccinating 15 million people before  February ends in the hope of easing strict lockdown measures imposed after a sharp increase of COVID cases last December and the discovery of a new strain of the virus.