Uk Health Secretary Sajid Javid has issued an apology for a tweet that suggested the nation needs to not “cower” from coronavirus.
In an apology, he said: “I was expressing gratitude that the vaccines help us fight back as a society, but it was a poor choice of word and I sincerely apologise.”
READ MORE: Sajid Javid criticised for suggesting people have ‘cowered’ from Covid-19
Mr Javid said: “I’ve deleted a tweet which used the word “cower”. I was expressing gratitude that the vaccines help us fight back as a society, but it was a poor choice of word and I sincerely apologise.
“Like many, I have lost loved ones to this awful virus and would never minimise its impact.”
He made the original comment on Twitter on Saturday as he announced he had made a “full recovery” from a Covid-19 infection and said his “symptoms were very mild, thanks to amazing vaccines”, of which he has received two doses.
He had added: “Please, if you haven’t yet, get your jab, as we learn to live with, rather than cower from, this virus.”
Mr Javid was forced to apologise after Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice joined MPs in branding his “cower” remark as insulting to people who have shielded and those who stayed at home to protect society.
He said on Sunday: “I was expressing gratitude that the vaccines help us fight back as a society, but it was a poor choice of word and I sincerely apologise.
“Like many, I have lost loved ones to this awful virus and would never minimise its impact.”
Professor Adam Finn, from the University of Bristol and a member of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, said young people are getting “seriously ill” due to Covid.
Speaking on LBC on Sunday, he said there have been close to 200 admissions in Bristol with a mean age of 40 and added: “We have had people under 30 on our intensive care unit and also requiring high-level oxygen therapy.
“This is not always trivial in young adults. There are younger people really getting seriously ill at the moment, so that’s one good reason to think about having the vaccine.
“But the other one is these vaccines now, it’s clear, do reduce the risk of not only getting the infection but passing it on to other people.
“Getting immunised is going to reduce the risk of spreading this infection around amongst young people and enable them to get back to normal.”
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