Roll up – but don’t strip off – for the jab, men advised

MIDDLE-AGED men should wear short-sleeved shirts to get their coronavirus jabs, Matt Hancock has said, to avoid having to strip off and show their “hairy chests”.

The advice comes after the sometimes unsettling sight of some male politicians stripping to their waists to receive their jabs in one of their arms.

The most recent example was of Lord Bethell, Mr Hancock’s colleague in the Department of Health, on Friday. The peer posted a video of his jab, in which he appeared topless, with the caption: “Such a great day. Feel hugely emotional. Many thanks to all involved!!”

Mr Hancock’s advice came at the end of a long debate about the vaccine in the Commons on Thursday, when told by Jason McCartney, the Tory MP, that he would be receiving his jab later that day.

Replying that it was “wonderful to see the joy” on Mr McCartney’s face, Mr Hancock added: “I hope that he gets the opportunity to change into a shortsleeved shirt, because some colleagues have inadvertently had to undo an awful lot of buttons.

“Although I imagine that some of their more enthusiastic constituents may have enjoyed the sight, I think it is best if we gents wear a short-sleeved shirt so that we do not have to bare our hairy chests.”

Mr McCartney confirmed to The Sunday Telegraph that he took Mr Hancock’s advice.

The next day Boris Johnson, the Prime Minister, rolled up his long sleeve to receive his vaccine.

Other politicians who have taken off their shirts include Johnny Mercer, the defence minister, who wrote on Twitter: “Rarely do they see such a wimp in these parts when it comes to injections”.

Brendan Clarke-Smith, the Tory MP, showed a shoulder for his vaccine, revealing a hairy chest, as did Kyriakos Mitsotakis, the Greek prime minister.

However, former prime ministers David Cameron and Tony Blair went prepared: both wore polo shirts.