Prince Charles admits he's 'way down the list' for Covid-19 vaccine

Prince of Wales makes morale-boosting visit to vaccination centre in Gloucestershire

The Prince of Wales meets with NHS staff during a visit to a vaccination centre at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital. AFP.

Prince Charles said he was “way down the list” for a Covid-19 vaccination as he met frontline medical staff administering the Pfizer shots.

The Prince of Wales made the comments during a visit to a vaccination centre at the Gloucestershire Royal Hospital in Gloucester, alongside the Duchess of Cornwall.

"I think I am way down the list and will have to wait," he told staff.
"I think I'll have to wait for the AstraZeneca one before it gets to my turn. I'm some way down the list."

The Prince of Wales meets with NHS staff during a visit to a vaccination centre at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital. AFP.

Charles said he believed his battle with Covid-19 this year meant he still had antibodies to fight off an infection.

The royals were accompanied by chief nurse, Prof Steve Hams, who is managing the vaccination programme in Gloucestershire.

So far, National Health Service hospitals there have vaccinated more than 1,300 staff members.

Those with underlying health conditions or those from vulnerable minority groups have been first in line.

Charles and Camilla were wearing masks and protective glasses in their second visit to the hospital since the start of the pandemic.

Prof Hams said the visit from the senior royals had given staff a much-needed morale boost.

Prince Charles was accompanied by the Duchess of Cornwall during their outing today. REUTERS

“It’s been an incredible boost. The whole team are really grateful that their Royal Highnesses came to visit us today," he said.

“We’ve worked incredibly hard over the past 10 days to get us up and running.

“I was just amazed at how warm and friendly they both were. They were talking about the vaccine, how we store it, how we put it together, the number of people who have been vaccinated and any side-effects.

“They also spoke about priority groups and they were really clear in saying that they were not old enough yet, which is good for them. They are not first in the queue just yet.

“I have called this the vaccine of hope because we’ve had a really difficult 12 months and I have personally seen the sadness and the upset and the destruction this awful virus has played on our communities and our colleagues.

“This is a really important step. What we do know is that it takes more than a vaccine to protect us and Hands, Face and Space is still really important.

“The vaccine is the second line of defence at the moment and at this stage it is all about saving lives.”

Britain on December 8 became the first country in the world to approve the coronavirus vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech.

Vaccines Minister, Nadhim Zahawi, said on Wednesday that 137,897 people had received a shot in the first week of the campaign.

They must all return in three weeks for a follow-up shot.