LONDON: Queen Elizabeth II’s eldest son and heir Prince Charles, who contracted COVID-19 last year, has received a first vaccine dose, his office said on Wednesday.
The 72-year-old Prince of Wales and his wife Camilla, 73, both received the shot as health authorities urged those over the age of 70 to get a jab.
Britain, which was the first Western nation to roll out COVID jabs in the general population, is banking on its biggest ever vaccination program as a way out of a contagion that has killed more than 113,000 people.
Some 12.5 million people have so far been inoculated using either the Pfizer/BioNTech or Oxford/AstraZeneca shots.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s government has set a target to vaccinate the most vulnerable and at-risk groups by February 15.
Over-70s are the last cohort in that group of 15 million people to be vaccinated under the plan.
The queen, 94, and her 99-year-old husband, Prince Philip received their COVID vaccine last month.
The unusual move to publicize the inoculations — royal officials rarely comment on private health matters concerning the head of state — came as those over 80 were given the vaccine.
The state-run National Health Service meanwhile on Wednesday released an advert starring pop icon Elton John and the Oscar-winning actor Michael Caine urging the public to get vaccinated.
The tongue-in-cheek advert shows Caine, 87, and John, 73, appearing in a mock audition at London’s Chelsea and Westminster Hospital.
“My name is Michael Caine,” says the actor, rolling up his sleeve. “I’ve just had a vaccine for COVID. It didn’t hurt a bit. Not many people know that.”
Britain’s Prince Charles gets COVID-19 jab
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Britain’s Prince Charles gets COVID-19 jab
- Britain is banking on its biggest ever vaccination program as a way out of a contagion
China congratulates Tanzania for ‘successful conduct’ of elections
- “China reiterated its full confidence in Tanzania’s leadership and institutions to manage internal affairs independently,” they added
DAR ES SALAM: China’s top diplomat has warned against foreign interference in Tanzania as he ended a visit where he avoided any mention of the political violence that has soured the East African country’s relations with the West.
Wang Yi is the first foreign minister to pay an official visit to Tanzania since the bloody crackdown on election protesters late last year.
The Tanzanian opposition says at least 2,000 people were killed by security forces following the Oct. 29 legislative and presidential elections which international observers deemed fraudulent.
China, which has invested heavily in Tanzania in recent years, did not comment on the crackdown that sparked a wave of global criticism.
In a statement shared after the visit, Tanzanian authorities said Wang had congratulated the country for the “successful conduct” of the elections.
“China reiterated its full confidence in Tanzania’s leadership and institutions to manage internal affairs independently,” they added.
Meanwhile, a Chinese Foreign Ministry statement said Beijing “opposes any external force interfering in Tanzania’s internal affairs” and stressed its support for the country’s “national sovereignty and security.”
Wang also met Tanzanian leader Samia Suluhu Hassan, who retained the presidency last year with 98 percent of the vote.
He “reaffirmed China’s firm support for Tanzania” during the meeting, a Tanzanian presidency statement said.
The statement pledged to strengthen cooperation and noted a rise in trade between the two countries over the last five years, “thanks to China’s policy of opening its markets to Africa.”
China has beefed up its investments in the country’s low-tax special economic zones, where 343 Chinese-funded projects worth $3.1 billion were registered in 2025 alone, according to the Tanzanian Foreign Ministry. After Tanzania, Wang is expected to continue his African tour in Lesotho.
