‘Guardian angel’ gives Covid jab 20 years on
A man who was diagnosed with a one-in-a-million disease more than 20 years ago received his Covid vaccine from the same “guardian angel” doctor who saved his life when he was younger.
Andy Barr, 44, was diagnosed with Goodpasture syndrome – an autoimmune disease in which antibodies attack the kidney and lungs – when he was 21, thanks to a doctor who by chance was doing a rotation at the Gloucester Royal hospital where he was being treated.
Yesterday, Mr Barr – who has type one diabetes – turned up for his Covid jab to find it was to be administered by the same doctor who saved his life more than two decades ago.
Mr Barr, a PR specialist from Newent in Gloucestershire, said: "I looked at him and smiled and thought 'I recognise you'.
"He said 'I didn't think it could be the very same Andy Barr. I saw your name this morning and it jumped out at me'."
Mr Barr said he was "freaked out" and "a bit teary" at the coincidence.
"He's actually retired now – he retired a year ago and he was brought back, I guess by the NHS, to help with this jabbing programme. It's phenomenal isn't it?"
When Mr Barr first became ill 23 years ago, medics struggled to work out what the problem was.
Mr Barr said that he would have died had the doctor, who he described as being "like my guardian angel", not stepped in. "I'd be dead without him, I would be dead without the NHS," he said.
A system of vaccine passports could ultimately allow the return of international travel, MSPS have been told, while some countries are already requiring vaccination "green passes" for entertainment venues.
Professor Devi Sridhar of Edinburgh University spoke to the Scottish Parliament's Health Committee about international travel regulations during the pandemic.
The Scottish Government adviser said that if coronavirus vaccines significantly reduced transmission of the disease, as initial evidence suggested, electronic vaccine passports could help to restart international tourism. She said EU countries
were already developing plans for a digital green pass, with Spain and Greece keen to welcome visitors again.
Prof Sridhar said: "I think similar to yellow fever, where the WHO has certification if you've been vaccinated, we will reach a state where aviation will continue.”
A taskforce planning the resumption of foreign holidays has met for the first time.
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps chaired the meeting of the Government's Global Travel Taskforce.
Travel firms, transport operators and industry bodies joined the virtual session with several government departments.
Boris Johnson announced last month that foreign leisure travel for people in England could be permitted from May 17.
This is dependant on various factors related to the coronavirus pandemic, such as vaccine rollouts and the prevalence of Covid-19 variants.
The taskforce will provide a report to the Prime Minister on April 12 setting out recommendations for how and when overseas trips could resume.
Mr Shapps said: "The Global Travel Taskforce is charged with exploring safe and secure ways to restart international travel when the time is right.”