Vaccine rollout program: Aussie expats in Britain call for Australians to get jabbed

Aussies who have been hit with the Delta virus in the UK are urging Australians to get jabbed — with whichever vaccine is available.

An Aussie expat who was as “sick as a dog” after contracting the Delta strain in the UK has urged Australians to get jabbed — with whichever vaccine is available.

Jon Screen, 29, was “sneezing out blood” during extreme coughing fits and lost his sense of taste and smell during his ordeal.

Although he has now recovered from his “terrifying” bout of Covid-19, Mr Screen said he still had lingering health problems.

Already prone to sinus issues, he said the Delta virus had left him suffering tinnitus, a permanent ringing in his ears, and he is now seeking further medical treatment.

NSW-born Jon Screen lines up to get his second vaccination at a pop-up clinic in Brighton, England.

The insurance worker, originally from Newcastle, had already received his first Pfizer dose in May at a vaccination hub near his home in England's Brighton when he first started experiencing Covid-19 symptoms.

“I started having a sore throat and I thought, it’s probably not Covid. But then the sore throat got worse and I started getting headaches,” the former NSW resident said.

He returned a positive Covid-19 test and his condition deteriorated.

“My throat was so sore, I sneezed out a whole bunch of blood, which was terrifying.

“My nose was the most runny it’s ever been — I had filled up a whole trash bag of tissues by the time it had all passed.

Although he did not experience breathing difficulties, he suffered major coughing fits.

“The coughing fits were difficult to control,” he said.

“You would cough so much it would irritate your throat even more — honestly, it was just so awful.”

Mr Screen is adamant that having his first vaccine dose gave him some protection against the ravages of the virus, and that he could have ended up in hospital — “or worse” — if he had not had his first jab.

The Aussie expat, who got his jab at this NHS site, is urging Australians to get vaccinated.

He urged Australians who were feeling hesitant about the vaccine to get jabbed.

“The only way out of this (pandemic) is through vaccination,” he said.

“Get vaccinated as soon as you possibly can, with whatever vaccination is available.

“I was given Pfizer but if the nurse had said, ‘you’re being given AstraZeneca’, I would have taken it in a heartbeat.

“I was just so keen to get vaccinated and they’ve done all the tests and all the studies.

“With AstraZeneca, there are issues with the clots but it is extremely low risk and they have told us what symptoms to look out for now.

“So if something does happen you can immediately go to your doctor and get it sorted.

“Obviously, heed your doctor’s advice. I’m not a medical professional.

“But as I have experienced it, having the vaccine is much better than having Covid.”

Mr Screen had been taking all the necessary Covid-safe measures and is not certain where he contracted the highly transmissible Delta strain but said it could have been a simple trip to the supermarket.

On top of his shocking symptoms, the logistics of having to isolate from his husband in their small one-bedroom apartment while he was sick with Covid-19 proved challenging.

Mr Screen spent nearly two weeks holed up in the bedroom while his partner left meals and drinks at his door, three times a day.

Due to his lack of taste or smell, food he consumed at the height of his illness tasted like “mush”.

“I don’t know what I would have done if it wasn’t for my partner being here, I think I would have gone stir crazy,” he said.

Australian expat Georgia Anderson, from the Gold Coast, who is living in the UK and has been vaccinated twice with Pfizer. Picture: Supplied

London-based PR strategist Georgia Anderson, from the Gold Coast, had only been in the UK for three months when the pandemic hit.

The 26-year-old received her second dose of Pfizer recently and is looking forward to a trip to Croatia now that she is fully vaccinated and eligible for travel to countries on the UK’s “green” list.

She got her first Pfizer dose at a walk-in clinic in London and described the process as quick and easy. She got her second jab at an appointment with her GP and the only side-effect she experienced was a sore arm.

Ms Anderson was hoping to return home to visit her family in Australia this Christmas, but said that was now unlikely due to travel restrictions and the festive season would prove challenging.

She urged young Australians who may be feeling hesitant about getting the AstraZeneca vaccine to weigh up the potential risks and consider the bigger picture.

“I think of the risk of transmitting the disease and the way that we are living,” she said.

“Not just in terms of the financial impact it’s having, but also the impact it’s having on social connections. I think it’s worth getting the vaccine.

“If they are thinking that they don’t want to do it for themselves, then they should do it for their mum and dad or their grandparents.”

Originally published as Vaccine rollout program: Aussie expats in Britain call for Australians to get jabbed