Duke warns against social media jabs ‘rumours’
THE Duke of Cambridge has warned that social media is “awash with rumours and misinformation” about coronavirus vaccines as he sought to bolster the Queen’s message of support for inoculations.
He said that getting a jab was “really, really important” and highlighted the need to keep the take-up high among younger generations.
The Duke and Duchess took part in a video call with two clinically vulnerable women who have been shielding with their families since last March, the latest in a string of royal engagements focused on the vaccine campaign.
Last week, the Queen made a rare personal comment, saying that those who refuse a jab “ought to think about other people rather than themselves”. The monarch, 94, revealed that hers was “very quick” and “didn’t hurt at all.”
The Royal family’s backing of the rollout comes after she said last March, just before the first lockdown: “My family and I stand ready to play our part.”
The Duke and Duchess were chatting to Shivali Modha, 39, who has type 2 diabetes, and Fiona Doyle, 37, who has severe asthma, both of whom are now eligible for the vaccine as part of Priority Group 6. Mrs Modha, from Barnet, north London, admitted she had been anxious about the vaccine after reading things on social media but had been reassured by family members who have already received it, as well as medics and the charity Diabetes UK.
The Duke told her: “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’s been amazing so far. We’ve got to keep it going so the younger generations also feel it’s important to have it.”
He praised Mrs Modha for deciding she needed the jab, adding: “Social media is awash sometimes with lots of rumours and misinformation so we have to be a bit careful who we believe.”
The Duchess told her: “I know there’s maybe anxiety 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.” Overall vaccine confidence is high, with 92 per cent having accepted or planning to accept a jab. But there has been some hesitancy, largely among the black community, of whom just 72 per cent are willing to have the jab.
Nadhim Zahawi, the vaccines minister, revealed last week that the rollout was facing a “tsunami” of misinformation. The Cabinet Office has set up a rapid response Cross-Whitehall Counter Disinformation Unit to work with social media platforms to quickly remove anti-vaccine conspiracy theories before they spread.