Earlier this week The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince William and Catherine, made video calls to the Shivali, who has type 2 diabetes, and Fiona, who lives with asthma to learn about their life during the pandemic and discussed the positive impacts of the COVID-19 vaccination. Both Shivali and Fiona have been shielding with their families over the course of the past year, and they are now eligible to receive the Covid-19 vaccine.
The UK’s leading health charities have joined forces to form a coalition to help those with long-term health conditions, who are now being offered the vaccine. Included in this coalition are The Diabetes UK and Asthma UK, who have supported Shivali and Fiona throughout the pandemic. The video calls are part of Royal efforts to encourage people to take the COVID jab. Talking to Shivali Modha, The Duke of Cambridge said,
“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.”
Shivali admitted that initially she had been nervous about the vaccine after reading social media posts but had been reassured by Diabetes UK and family members who have had the jab and she leaned on them for support. The Duke of Cambridge told Shivali,
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.
Talking to Fiona Doyle from East Finchley who has been shielding since the pandemic began The Duchess of Cambridge said,
“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.”
When William asked how she feels about the vaccine she replied: “I can’t wait! I’m priority group six, so any day now I’m really hoping to get called up. 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! 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”.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge also spoke to Fiona’s daughter Ciara about homeschooling and asked her: “Are you missing your friends Ciara? Yeah a lot,” she replied. Watch the Full conversation here.
The royal family has been supporting the NHS in its rollout of the coronavirus vaccine, visiting vaccination centers, and thanking staff and volunteers for their efforts. Earlier this week, Her Majesty The Queen urged the people to think about others when they say no to the vaccine. The Countess of Wessex has been volunteering at St John Ambulance vaccination center while The Duke of Cambridge and The Duchess of Cornwall have visited vaccination centers to learn about the vaccination process. From The Daily Mirror’s report,
Professor Stephen Powis, national medical director of the NHS, said: “As we reach the next stage of the biggest and fastest vaccination programme in NHS history, fighting rumours and misinformation around the vaccine is crucial, and I would like to thank the Duke and Duchess for helping to get this potentially life-saving message out there.”
And Dr David Wrigley, British Medical Association council deputy chair, added: “It is positive that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are showing their public support for the vaccine programme. The success of the vaccination rollout is crucial in defeating the COVID-19 pandemic, protecting the population from serious illness and saving lives and it is important that this message comes from as many trusted voices as possible to reassure people and instil confidence in the programme.”
Dan Howarth, head of care at Diabetes UK, which has formed a coalition to promote vaccine uptake among people with long-term health conditions, said: “We are incredibly proud to be working with Their Royal Highnesses, not only to highlight the challenges people with diabetes have faced during this pandemic, but also to highlight the incredible importance of the Covid-19 vaccine, and the huge positive impact it will have.”
For the video call, The Duchess of Cambridge was wearing her Smythe Duchess Blazer in Army green.
The Duchess first wore the blazer in December 2018 when she and William visited Cyprus to meet deployed military personnel. Catherine also owns the blazer in blue and grey shades.
Underneath the blazer, The Duchess was wearing the same white blouse that she wore during the call to Nurses in January this year. It still remains unidentified.
Update: The Duchess of Cambridge was wearing Holland Cooper Shirt Bodysuit. She also wore the same during the call to Nurses in January this year. Thanks to Polka Popp on Twitter for finding the confirmation from the label on Instagram. The £119 bodysuit is currently available in black and white.
In other news, As the schools in the United Kingdom will open from March 08, The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will return to London ahead of the school opening. Prince William and Catherine have been homeschooling Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis at their Georgian country home while using the Queen’s Sandringham House as an office.
