The Duchess of Cornwall has revealed she was given the AstraZeneca Covid jab and praised the vaccine rollout effort, telling a doctor: “You need to get people in.”
Camilla said it “didn’t matter” which vaccine she was given – and joked she did not ask because “I hate injections so much” during a visit to a pop-up inoculation centre in London with the Prince of Wales.
A string of European countries – including Germany, France, Italy and Spain – have paused the use of the AstraZeneca jab in their vaccine rollouts due to concerns over possible adverse side effects.
Some 30 cases of blood clots have been reported to the European Medicines Agency (EMA) by March 10th among almost five million people vaccinated, but additional cases had been reported over the weekend.
The EMA is conducting a full scientific review of the AstraZeneca jab, but has said it currently “remains convinced” that the “benefits of this vaccine outweigh the risk”.
The duchess spoke to Dr John McGrath, a GP, who was administering the AstraZeneca vaccine at the pop-up centre at Finsbury Park Mosque.
And she agreed with him when he said: “We want to get this vaccine into the arms of everyone. No matter of race, colour or creed.”
He continued: “And the way we do that is yes, you do it though your GP surgeries, your pharmacies, hospitals….but also through doing it in local communities...”
“You need to get people in,” said Camilla.
Dr McGrath asked the duchess which vaccine she had received and was told AstraZeneca, Camilla added: “Although it didn’t matter. I didn’t ask. I don’t even ask because I hate injections so much that I shut my eyes…. whatever comes out.”
In mid-February, it was announced that Charles and Camilla had received their first Covid vaccinations.
The heir to the throne, who is aged 72, and the duchess, 73, were – as over 70-year-olds – in the fourth priority group for the rollout of the jabs.
The confirmation came after the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh were given their injections in January.
