A mum whose partner died with covid-19 after he refused to get the vaccine today urged other to get the jab.
Amanda Mitchell, 56 lost her partner, Les Lawrenson, 58, last month and today she appeared on This Morning to tell viewers why she believes it's so important to get the jab.
The mum-of-two sat down with the show's presenters Eamonn Holmes and Ruth Langsford to explain why her partner didn't want to get the vaccine.
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Amanda told Eamonn and Ruth: "Les was worried that it was experimental and it hadn't been out there long enough to see long-term effects. He just didn't trust it to be safe enough."
Les, who was a solicitor and a talented musician, had read things on social media and on the internet which had made him believe the vaccine wasn't safe and swayed him towards making the decision not to get it.
He also started a blog to share his opinions, which was only found by his partner after he died.
Even after he caught Covid, Les still didn't want to be vaccinated and believed his immune system would cope and fight off the virus, as he said he felt ok.
Amanda, who also contracted Covid two days after Les, said on This Morning: "He seemed to be rallying around quite well really.
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"I thought I was doing ok but because I've got underlying health issues I started to deteriorate quite quickly and he was actually more concerned for my welfare more than his own."
The mum, from Bournemouth, also said Les returned to work from home two days before his isolation period ended.
She said: "He was doing at least four to five days and four to five hours of work a day from bed. He still carried on because he thought he was beating the virus and he really thought he'd survive it."
Amanda told Eamonn and Ruth that her sons had to phone an ambulance for her as she took a turn for the worse and it was only when her 19-year-old son, Taylor went upstairs to tell Les that his partner was going to hospital that they realised he was dead.
Amanda said: "On his last day he told our 11-year-old son that he was going to bed because he felt really tired and that was his last words as far as we can tell."
Carla, Les's step-daughter, also joined her mum on today's show and said Les was a great dad and stepdad, was full of life and character and loved his partner and kids.
She urged people to learn from what's happened to her step-dad and said: "Everyone who is sitting on the fence really needs to sit down and look at your decision and what it's based on.
"Who's giving you this info and where are you getting it from?
"Take the vaccine and try and protect yourself and your loved ones."
Amanda, who hasn't yet had the the vaccine but will get it once she's better and finished her course of antibiotics, added: "You're playing Russian roulette with your life if you don't get it."
