Unvaccinated dad from Worcester fighting Covid urges people to get jabbed
Andy Pugh has spent over a month is hospital in intensive care
Last updated 14th Jan 2022
An unvaccinated father-of-three from Worcester calls for people to get their coroanvirus vaccine after being hospitalised with Covid-19.
Andy Pugh spent Christmas in intensive care at Worcestershire Royal Hospital after contracting the virus.
He says he's been given a "second chance" and has thanked the doctors and nurses who saved his life.
Covid is a life-changing illness
"It's been terrifying, frightening, not knowing what's going to happen from day to day", says Andy from his hospital bed.
He continues: "I was an active person looking after my grandchildren, working and I was generally fit and healthy - but now i can hardly feel my legs and my body.
"At one point I could only walk 20 to 30 feet without being out of breath. The whole of my life has just gone downhill."
Andy refused to get the vaccine after seeing people share posts spreading misinformation about the vaccine on social media.
"There's a couple of reasons why I didn't get the vaccine", Andy explains.
"I've got varicose veins in my legs and I was reading what people had been putting on Facebook about people dying from blood clots in their legs.
"And secondly I thought the vaccine had been made too early."
"Please just get your vaccine"
Andy is now calling for people to get their vaccine if they haven't already.
"I didn't want the vaccine and look how I ended up in hospital.
"So of all the people who haven;t had it, please get it because it's very scary what I;ve been through.
"It doesn't just affect my life it affects my family's lives too because when you die there's not coming back.
"So please just get your vaccines. Please."
Road to recovery
"It's good to know I've made it this far and I've got a good family who are helping me build my life back to how it was before I got Covid.
"I can't wait to leave hosopital and meet up with my family one at a time because over the last 32 days I've missed them all."
"The ICU staff have been absolutely amazing too. I can't imagine what they go home with and what they're really thinking.
"A lot of people in here, doctors and nurses, have had Covid but they've come back to work and they're still suffering now. But they're all amazing people.