The legendary British singer tries on a Michael Caine impression, but fails to impress the casting team – before Caine makes a cameo herself. Both celebrities have already been vaccinated against the coronavirus, according to the NHS.
Their call for more Britons to get vaccinated comes as the UK wants to expand the rollout. Britain has already vaccinated more than 12 million people with at least one dose and is now asking people 70 and older in England who have not been vaccinated to make an appointment.
“I wanted to participate in this movie to show people the benefits of a vaccination and how it protects ourselves and the people we love,” said John. “So I hope we can all come together and do our part in the fight against this wretched disease.”
In the video, the 73-year-old sings his 1980s hit “I’m Still Standing” after pretending to get a shot. The parody also sees Caine, 87, telling viewers that the vaccine doesn’t hurt – before adding his signature phrase, “Not many people know that.”
Simon Stevens, general manager of NHS England, said vaccine uptake in older populations was very high, and the campaign was a way of encouraging others who could use the vaccine to do so.
“More than nine in ten people aged 75 and older have already taken up their NHS Covid vaccination offerings, and now we want to encourage everyone in the high-priority groups to do so,” said Stevens.
“That’s why we are grateful to Sir Elton and Sir Michael for helping the NHS promote vaccine uptake,” he added.
The government has pledged to offer a vaccine to everyone in the four highest risk groups in mid-February.
Despite the strong uptake, community protection can only be achieved when an overwhelming majority of the population has been vaccinated, and scientists have warned of the challenges posed by misinformation and hesitation to reach that milestone.