Writing her OK! VIP column from sunny Portugal, Emily Andrea gives her take on worries around the Covid vaccine as she admits the benefits outweigh the risks for her.
Her views come in the wake of Alison Hammond's recent comments on This Morning, as the star admitted her concerns about getting a blood clot. Emily also talks about her last-minute family trip to sunny Portugal and gives her opinion on talk of children's school days being extended by 30 minutes. Sign up – for free! – to see what she has to say.
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I’m writing this week’s column from sunny Portugal! We managed to book a last-minute trip so we could have a few days away as a family. It’s lovely to be on holiday, especially after having to self-isolate three times over the last year.
We’re in the Algarve and it’s the first time Pete has been. I used to come here all the time with my family when I was younger, so it’s nice to now be making memories here with my own family. We’re staying in a lovely villa, and we’ve been going to the beach and out for meals.
We expected the airport and plane to be really busy with it being half term, but it was very quiet. I can completely understand why a lot of people would be put off travelling during this time as it wasn’t cheap with six of us needing Covid-19 tests to fly and there are lots of forms to fill out. It’s quite confusing as both Millie and Theo had to do a PCR test to fly here, but neither of them need to do one to fly back, but Millie does once we’re back home. It’s a lot to get your head around so I’m looking forward to when travelling is a little easier!
For me the vaccine benefits outweigh the risk
Alison Hammond has opened up about her worries over having the coronavirus vaccine and said she “doesn’t want to die”. She said, “I’m so worried about the vaccine myself because I really don’t want to get a blood clot, because I’m really enjoying this job and everything, it’s absolutely amazing.”
Alison is entitled to her point of view – it is difficult as we hear a lot about the worst case scenarios in the media, and no vaccine is risk free. But when you look at the statistics, the risks of health problems or dying from Covid-19 are greater than the risks of the vaccine. I’m fully vaccinated and I would recommend it to anyone eligible, especially if they have risk factors for becoming unwell with the virus, such as underlying health conditions or age.
For me, the benefits of having the vaccine definitely outweigh the risks, which are comparatively small. It’s also important to remember with the vaccine that it’s not just about protecting yourself but protecting others too. We need to think about who we are coming into contact with.
If you are unsure, you can discuss your individual circumstances with your GP.
Kids play catch up
It’s been reported that the Government is considering adding an extra 30 minutes to the school day in England to help pupils catch up with the teaching they missed due to the pandemic. If that’s what they think it will take for kids to catch up and reach their full potential then I don’t see it as a bad thing.
However, I don’t know whether or not that extra time will make much difference, only time will tell. I don’t think most kids would notice an extra 30 minutes, but children in private schools already have quite a long day so I think ministers need to consider that.
I don’t feel like Millie fell behind as she’s so young. It’s definitely different for older children doing exams, though, whereas Millie isn’t at that age yet so I don’t feel too worried.
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