Vaccine minister Nadhim Zahawi speaks of ‘heart wrenching’ loss of his uncle to Covid

Nadhim Zahawi 
AFP via Getty Images
Leah Sinclair31 January 2021

Vaccine minister Nadhim Zahawi has opened up about the "heart wrenching" death of his uncle from Covid-19 — and why it has made him "so angry and more determined than ever” to inoculate the population.

Faiz Issa, the brother of Mr Zahawi's mother Najda, was being treated for Covid-19 in St Helier Hospital in Sutton, south London, where he succumbed to the virus on January 18.

In an interview with The Sunday Telegraph, Mr Zahawi said: "The nurse was actually with him and he was talking to his daughter. He put the phone down and just took one breath. Suddenly everything stopped. And ... and it killed him."

Mr Issa, 88, was eligible for the coronavirus jab, but could not receive one until he was clear of the disease for 28 days.

Mr Zahawi said his uncle, who worked in the supply of medicine and medical equipment and had a doctorate in clinical biochemistry from the University of Surrey, was confident of overcoming his condition in the days before his death.

He told the paper: "It was heart-wrenching because it tells you everything about this evil virus. I was literally - 48 hours before his death - asking him about his oxygen.

"And he was joking around on WhatsApp, saying, 'I've got 94 per cent oxygen, and I'm going to make it out of here. Got a bit of pneumonia but I am fine'. And I was like 'Come on, uncle, in 28 days' time I'll vaccinate you'."

Mr Zahawi said the sudden death of his uncle to the virus has made him “determined” to succeed with the vaccine rollout.

"This is the biggest, the most important job I'll ever do in my life. This country has given my family everything.

"It really is quite horrific when it does become serious and it does end up like pneumonia, in your lungs, which is what happened to my uncle... We will do this,” he said. “This country is at its very best when it's challenged."

Despite concerns earlier this week over Brussels’ decision to trigger a provision in the Brexit deal to control vaccine exports, Mr Zahawi said he is "very confident" of longer-term supplies through to the end of March despite the protests from Brussels.

"We speak to both companies on a daily basis, and both have reassured us that supplies as per our schedules continue,” he confirmed. “So January to March supplies for Pfizer and AstraZeneca I'm very confident of.

"We have been rigorous in the way we have contracted and the way we've invested in capacity to be able to deliver the national vaccination programme – and we will deliver it."

Brussels reversed the decision which could have seen checks at the Irish border and Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove said the European Commission recognised its "mistake."

“We’re confident, we have assurances that the supply that we have procured, the supply that we have paid for is going to be delivered," he told the BBC.

“That’s why we’re carrying on with our programme and I’m working with ministers across the United Kingdom in order to make sure that we can accelerate the rollout of that vaccine programme to make sure that there are more jabs in more arms exactly as we planned.”

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