Covid: Father's regret at not having jab after Christmas in hospital

Andy Pugh spent three weeks in intensive care with coronavirus

A father-of-three says he has been given a "second chance" after spending Christmas in an intensive care unit with coronavirus.

Andy Pugh, from Worcester, had declined to have a Covid vaccine before he became ill on 4 December.

He was taken to hospital where he spent three weeks in intensive care and was told he had a 50% chance of surviving.

Now in recovery, he said his experience had changed his perspective and urged others like him to get a jab.

Mr Pugh, a refuse worker, remains at the Worcestershire Royal Hospital and said he was feeling slightly better but was still reliant on oxygen.

In intensive care he was "really scared", he said. "I was hallucinating, thinking the doctors were trying to kill me, when really they were trying to help me.

"They phoned up my Mrs and said 'you've got to prepare for the worst'."

'Changed my morals'

Mr Pugh said his wife was a carer and so had had the vaccine and been urging him to do the same.

However, he said he had been "really put off" by the speed of the rollout.

"Now I've had this, it's changed my morals altogether," he said. "I've been given a second chance."

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In Worcestershire, about 13% of people aged over 12 are yet to have a coronavirus vaccine.

There are currently more than 15,000 people in hospital with Covid across the UK with a number of hospitals declaring major incidents as they deal with rising pressures.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said more than 60% of people in intensive care had not had any Covid vaccinations and many were "dying needlessly".

Mr Pugh said he intended to get the jab once he was recovered. "This has scared me," he said. "Absolutely scared me."