Prince William says Covid vaccines are 'really, really important' and warns against 'misinformation'
Video report by ITV News reporter Mark McQuillan
Prince William said he and Kate "wholeheartedly support" Covid vaccines and warned against "rumours and misinformation" about them.
The Duke of Cambridge also said having vaccines are "really, really important".
His comments come after his grandmother, the Queen, encouraged those hesitant about the coronavirus jab to "think about other people rather than themselves".
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge on Tuesday heard how Shivali Modha, a mum-of-two with type 2 diabetes, was initially anxious about the jab after reading posts and comments on social media. She was eventually reassured by vaccinated family members and medics from the charity Diabetes UK.
William told Mrs Modha: “Catherine and I are not medical experts by any means but if it’s any consolation, we can wholeheartedly support having vaccinations. It’s really, really important.
“We’ve spoken to a lot of people about it and the uptake has been amazing so far. We’ve got to keep it going so the younger generations also feel that it’s really important for them to have it.
“So it’s great that Shivali you’re taking the time to work it out and come to the conclusion that ‘I need to do this’ because social media is awash sometimes with lots of rumours and misinformation, so we have to be a bit careful who we believe and where we get our information from.
“Especially for those who are clinically vulnerable as well, it’s so important that those vaccinations are done, so good luck.”
Mrs Modha, 39, from Barnet in north-west London, replied: “I guess it’s just the unknown and I think that’s the case for most people. It’s just something that is unknown right now. And by the time you’ve had it, it will be A-OK.”
Kate told her: “I hope it comes as a huge relief in the end. I know there’s maybe the anxiety and the worry leading up to it, but I hope for all of you it will add a bit of normality back to your lives and confidence as well as we go forward into the spring, that would be great.”
The Cambridges also spoke to severe asthma patient Fiona Doyle, 37, and her seven-year-old daughter Ciara. Both have been shielding at their home in East Finchley, north London, since the start of the pandemic.
When asked by William how she felt about the getting her jab, she said: “I can’t wait! I’m priority group six, so any day now I’m really hoping to get called up.”
She added: “I think I’m trying to not see it as a magic cure. I’m not going to go out licking lampposts or anything straight away!”
“Did you used to do that before?” laughed William.
“I’m probably going to do what I do normally,” said Ms Doyle. “I’ll still wear my mask, I’ll still keep my hand gel, still social distance.
“But it’s nice to know that mentally you have that layer of protection and that if you do end up being unfortunate enough to catch it, it won’t be as severe as it might have been without having been vaccinated.”
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Ms Doyle said the charity Asthma UK had been a “real source of support” in dealing with her situation.
Ms Doyle and Mrs Modha are both eligible for the vaccine as part of priority group 6, and were preparing to have their jabs when they spoke to the royal couple.
The royal family have been supporting the NHS in its rollout of the Covid jab, visiting vaccination centres and thanking staff and volunteers.