Vaccines minister reveals he lost his uncle to Covid-19

Vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi has revealed he has an uncle to Covid-19 in the last week. - Credit: ITV

Vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi has revealed he has an uncle to Covid-19 in the last week.

Speaking to ITV’s Good Morning Britain, he said: “It’s painful, and it’s closer to home than you think … in terms of losing relatives and family.

“I lost my uncle last week to Covid, but, you’re right, it is grim and horrible, but our way out of this is the vaccination programme.

“It makes me angry, but it makes me determined to make sure we vaccinate the most vulnerable people in our country and protect them as quickly as possible and then protect the whole nation.”

The minister revealed he contracted Covid-19 before he was able to receive the vaccine, as patients need to wait 28 days after testing positive before they can be vaccinated.

Presenter Piers Morgan told Zahawi: “For you as the vaccine minister to have an uncle who simply didn’t get the vaccine in time to protect him, that is heartbreaking. I think it shows to everybody if you get that call to have that jab, get down there faster than a greyhound.”