The harrowing testimonies of young Covid survivors are being used in the campaign to convince vaccine refuseniks to get jabbed.
In a film released tomorrow, three people tell how they believed being young, fit and healthy would protect them from the worst effects of contracting coronavirus.
One fit 30something ended up in hospital fearing he would die, while the other two survivors are now living with the devastating effects of Long Covid.
All say their brush with the potential killer has changed their lives forever and they are begging others not to make the same mistake of refusing the jab.
Latest figures show hospitals have seen a rise in unvaccinated young adults admitted with Covid-19.
People aged 18 to 34 now make up more than one in five of those being hospitalised with the virus.
The release of the Government video comes weeks after Boris Johnson was said to be “raging” about low vaccine uptake among young people.
The message from the Covid survivors in the 2 minute and 49 second film is a blunt rallying call to other young people to take up the vaccine.
Support worker Quincy Dwamena, 31, who spent two weeks in hospital with Covid-19, explains how he thought he did not need to get the jab.
“I’m a healthy, young guy. I put off getting the vaccine because I thought the way I was living my life would mean there would be little to no chance of me catching the virus, or it would have little effect,” he said.
“But I ended up being hospitalised and thought I was going to die. My advice is to get the vaccine: don’t put yourself and others at risk, I wish I’d got mine as soon as it was offered.”
Megan Higgins, a 25-year-old special needs tutor from London is still suffering from Long Covid, after being struck down at the end of last year.
She thought she would “brush it off,” “It’s now been eight months since I tested positive, and I can’t even walk around the shops without getting exhausted,” she said.
“Long Covid is debilitating so please, get vaccinated. I wouldn’t want anyone else to go through what I have.”
Another survivor, illustrator Ella Harwood, 23, says she was confined to her bed for seven months after contracting Covid.
“Before I caught the virus, I was super active and had no health concerns,” she said.
“But I now suffer with asthma which I didn’t have before and a number of allergies.
“I fear I’ll never be the same again but I’m making progress and I’m very grateful that I’m still alive. Please get vaccinated if you haven’t already.”
Having two doses of the vaccine approximately halves the risk of experiencing symptoms which last more than 28 days after infection, according to the Office for National Statistics.
Public Health England figures show people aged between 16 and 29 are most likely to get Long Covid, but vaccine uptake among this age group is lower than average - particularly in London where the interviews were filmed.
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The video is narrated by TV doctor, Dr Emeka Okorocha, who said: “As an A&E doctor,I’ve seen a lot during the pandemic. But nothing has shaken me like the sight of young, otherwise healthy adults, being rushed into our hospitals with Covid-19.
“As well as their age, many of them have one other thing in common, they are unvaccinated. Vaccines truly are the way out of this pandemic and are the best way to protect everyone from the virus, so please get your vaccine.”
Health officials say they will hit their target of sending more than one million letters and texts inviting all 16 to 17 year olds in England to get their jabs tomorrow.
More than 360,000 have already been vaccinated.
All at-risk people aged 12 to 15 in England have also been invited for a vaccination and young people are encouraged to take up the offer before returning to school in September.
The Government says it is working closely with the NHS “to make it as easy as possible to get a vaccine”, including pop-up sites across the country and partnerships with dating apps, social media platforms and companies like Uber, Bolt and Deliveroo.
Health and Social Care Secretary Sajid Javid said: “Vaccines are building a wall of defence in the UK and allowing us to safely live with this virus without restrictions.
“Regardless of whether you’re young, fit and healthy, these harrowing stories really show that Covid-19 can affect anyone”
In total 89,070,370 people have been jabbed in the UK, including 47,573,794 people who have had a first dose (87.5%) and 41,496,576 people with a second dose (76.3%).
