Jab lies so nearly killed me
Up to 90% of people in ICUs with Covid are unvaccinated or unboosted. Here we talk to one vaccine refuser about the social media madness that almost claimed his life...
The first days of the New Year have been long and frightening for Andrew Pugh, propped in his hospital bed, an oxygen mask on, no visitors for comfort.
The 52-year-old is recovering from three weeks in intensive care after being struck down by Covid in early December.
He was on 85% oxygen and his partner was told he had a 50-50 chance of living.
The fit and healthy dad nearly died after believing vaccine lies and has begged people to get jabbed.
Andrew spoke out as Boris Johnson yesterday blasted conspiracy theorists for spreading “complete mumbo jumbo” about vaccines online.
The Prime Minister added: “It’s time that I, government, call them out on what they’re doing, it is absolutely wrong.”
Dad-of-three Andrew said he feels “so stupid” after becoming one of many people who were left critically ill after refusing jabs.
As we talk by phone he struggles for breath and sounds broken.
Andrew says: “It was me being pigheaded, thinking it won’t get me, I’m fit and healthy, I might get a mild cold. It’s not like that.”
The once happy-go-lucky binman has terrifying memories of his hallucinations in ICU and patients’ screams but knows it all could have been avoided.
Reading messages from his children, he reveals: “They have been worried sick. When I see all the comments, about how much they miss me, I know I should have had the vaccine.” Andrew says Christmas Day was the hardest when partner Alison Williams got only an hour’s visit.
Facing months of recuperation, the grandad-of-five adds: “She cried, I was crying, I cry now on my own, because
this isn’t even the start of it, I will have to do a lot to get where I used to be.
“I know now I should have had it, it could have been too late, I could have left all my family heartbroken.”
Andrew says he feels guilt towards staff at Worcestershire Royal Hospital.
He knows at least one woman, a mum in her 30s, has died of Covid while he has been a patient there.
Andrew says: “One doctor asked me why I never had the jab but they don’t judge. I do feel guilty, a lot.
“This ward is absolutely rammed. The ICU is the worst. Some of them were screaming they couldn’t breathe. I feel sorry for the nurses.”
Up to 60% of patients in intensive care with Covid are believed to be unvaccinated, going up to 90% when including those who are not boosted.
Andrew, of Tunnel Hill, Worcester, feared the jabs were not safe and was disturbed by reports of blood clots. He says: “I thought the vaccine was just made too quick. It’s scared me. I have really big varicose veins in my legs, it really put me off.”
He notes the irony during our chat when a medic checks for blood clots.
England’s Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty said
“the great majority” of unjabbed Covid patients in intensive care are not hardline anti-vaxxers but had been swayed by fake news.
Andrew adds: “Every time I try to look at things on Facebook you get people pump into your head conspiracy theories. They say the ones having jabs are dying, having heart attacks and blood clots.” Andrew is still reading them on his phone – but now with anger. He says: “Facebook should do more to police it. What people are saying there almost cost my life.”
Alison, a carer, begged him to get jabbed and on December 4 he felt ill at work before taking a lateral flow test. His sister brought him an oximeter and it showed oxygen in his blood was at 84%. The usual rate is 95 to 100%. Andrew went to hospital and was discharged but was back a few days later. Then his memory is lost for two days. But he later recalls his fear as he struggled for breath in ICU. Thankfully, he did not need a ventilator.
Andrew says: “I was hallucinating in there, I thought doctors were trying to kill me, it was very frightening.
“There were a couple of days lying there when I thought, ‘Why bother?’”
Now out of ICU, he has just come down from five litres of oxygen to one.
He can walk unaided to the toilet but quickly needs his oxygen mask.
Fearing debilitation and indignity to come, Andrew says: “They say when you get home it will take months.
“I can’t run after the grandkids. They say the stairs will be hard, to sit and do them one at a time.”
But as soon as he is able, he will get his first vaccine.
With partner Alison
I know now that I should have had it. I could have left all my family heartbroken
ANDREW PUGH ON HIS REGRET ABOUT SNUBBING VACCINES