‘Think about other people’: Queen urges public to have Covid vaccination and says hers ‘didn’t hurt at all’

‘As far as I can make out it was quite harmless,’ the monarch told health leaders

The Queen has said her coronavirus vaccination “didn’t hurt at all”, and has urged the public to also take the jab, saying they should “think about other people rather than themselves”.

Speaking during a video call with health leaders on Tuesday, the 94-year-old, who was vaccinated by royal household doctors last month, said the inoculation made her feel “protected”.

The monarch was speaking to the four officials in charge of the vaccine programme in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Dr Emily Lawson, head of the vaccine deployment programme for the NHS in England, told the monarch: “We hope everyone who is offered the vaccine will take it up, because it is ... all of our best chances to protect both the people who take up the vaccine, their families and their communities.”

The Queen replied: “Once you’ve had the vaccine you have a feeling of, you know, you’re protected, which is I think very important.

“I think the other thing is, that it is obviously difficult for people if they’ve never had a vaccine...but they ought to think about other people rather than themselves.”

She added: “I think it is remarkable how quickly the whole thing has been done and so many people have had the vaccine already.”

Dr Lawson asked the royal for “feedback” on her inoculation experience and she responded: “Well, as far as I can make out it was quite harmless. It was very quick, and I’ve had lots of letters from people who’ve been very surprised by how easy it was to get the vaccine.”

She added: “It didn’t hurt at all.”

The Queen called Covid a “plague” and compared the community unity during the pandemic to wartime spirit.

Buckingham Palace usually avoids commenting on the Queen’s private health matters but chose to announce that the head of state and her husband Prince Philip, 99, had had the vaccine last month.

The monarch chose to be open about having had the jab to prevent speculation and inaccuracies.

Prince Charles had his first dose of the vaccine earlier this month, and previously was ill with Covid in June last year. The 72-year-old told Sky News he “got away with it quite lightly”. He added: “I was lucky in my case... but I’ve had it, and I can so understand what other people have gone through.”