Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip won't skip queue for COVID-19 vaccine

Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip will not be skipping the queue to get the COVID-19 vaccine.

The United Kingdom government is gearing up to administer the vaccine for the novel coronavirus, and the queen and Prince Philip are expected to receive it very soon. However, the couple is not getting any preferential treatment, and will "wait in line" to get vaccinated.

According to a report in Mail Online, the queen and the Duke of Edinburgh will still be among the first ones to receive the vaccine, as they are in the high priority group for the injection at the age of 94 and 99 respectively. The first wave of injections has been reserved for the over-80s and care home residents.

To avoid any speculations of favouritism, other senior members of the royal family will also not jump the queue and instead wait for their turns to get the vaccine.

The queen and Prince Philip are expected to accept the offer of the injection on the advice of their doctors. However, Buckingham Palace refused to confirm the report, with a spokesman telling the outlet: "Medical decisions are personal and this is not something we will comment on." The Prime Minister's office at Downing Street has also declined to comment.

As per the report, public health experts believe the royal couple would be doing a huge service if they decide to go public about their vaccination. Their confirmation can potentially combat misinformation spread by conspiracy theorists which might make a substantial portion of the population refuse the vaccine.

It is also reported that discussions are underway about the potential roles Prince Charles and Prince William could play in publicising the vaccination programme, but they might not go for it as it can be seen as "politicising" the royal family as well as an invasion to their medical privacy.

However, announcing their vaccination is not completely out of the question, since the British monarch had previously let it be known when Prince Charles and Princess Anne had been given polio jabs in 1957. Prince William had also recently publicly congratulated Oxford University when they announced the research for the vaccine has been completed in collaboration with AstraZeneca.

Vaccinations in the UK will be administered from Tuesday onwards to people aged 80 and over, care home workers, and NHS workers who are at a higher risk of contracting the virus.