During a visit to King’s College Hospital in London on Friday (Jan. 7), UK Health Secretary Sajid Javid asked staff members on the intensive care unit what they thought about new rules requiring COVID-19 vaccination for National Health Service (NHS) workers.
Steve James, an unvaccinated anaesthetist who has been treating COVID-19 patients since the start of the pandemic, let it rip after some awkward silence.
“I’m not happy about that,” James said. “I had COVID at some point, I’ve got antibodies, and I’ve been working on COVID ICU since the beginning.
“I have not had a vaccination, I do not want to have a vaccination. The vaccines are reducing transmission only for about eight weeks for Delta, with Omicron it’s probably less,” he continued.
“And for that, I would be dismissed if I don’t have a vaccine? The science isn’t strong enough.”