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CoronavirusPrince & Princess of Wales

Prince William visits vaccination centre in Norfolk as nearly 18M receive first jab

On Monday, Prince William made his first in-person royal visit of the new year, visiting a vaccination centre in Norfolk.

At the King’s Lynn Corn Exchange, the Duke of Cambridge met with some people receiving the vaccine. He spoke with the National Health Service staff and volunteers about their experiences and what it’s like to be apart of the largest vaccination programme in British history.

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The Duke, who recovered from the coronavirus last year, also observed the vaccine delivery work of Cambridgeshire Community Services NHS Trust. The organisation provides dental services, school immunisation programmes, and community health services throughout the area. This includes centres in Cambridgeshire, Peterborough, Norfolk, and Waveney.

Matthew Winn, Chief Executive of Cambridgeshire Community Services NHS Trust said on the Duke’s visit:

“I was delighted to welcome the Duke of Cambridge to the vaccination centre in King’s Lynn today.  I am so proud of the immense efforts our NHS staff and army of volunteers have shown as we roll out this life-saving vaccination programme. I would also like to recognise the hard work of staff across the local hospitals, GPs, and pharmacists – and thanks to our collective commitment, we have delivered over 300,000 vaccinations to people in priority groups across Norfolk and Waveney.”

Up until about a week ago, 307,716 doses of the vaccine had been delivered to people living in Norfolk and Waveney. Breaking it down by age group, this means 94% of those over the age of 80, 97% of those between the ages of 75 and 79, and 73% of those between the ages of 70 and 74 years old received their first jab.

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During the visit, the Duke was also asked about the health of his 99-year-old grandfather, Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh who has been hospitalised since last week for what the palace said are “precautionary measures.”

William responded: “He’s okay; they’re keeping an eye on him.”

On Saturday, William’s father, Prince Charles, visited his father at King Edward VII’s Hospital. Under England’s current lockdown rules, visiting someone in a hospital is considered a “reasonable excuse” to leave home, but according to the hospital, visitors are only considered in “exceptional circumstances.”

Charles spent a half hour with his father Saturday before returning to his Highgrove residence.

About author

My name is Sydney Zatz and I am a University of Iowa graduate. I graduated with a degree in journalism and sports studies, and a minor in sport and recreation management. A highlight of my college career was getting the chance to study abroad in London and experiencing royal history firsthand. I have a passion for royals, royal history, and journalism, which led me to want to write for Royal Central.