Dr Hilary tells Good Morning Britain viewers that unvaccinated doctor ‘unethical’ for refusing vaccine

NHS doctor Steve James told health secretary Sajid Javid that he would not get vaccinated

Dr Hilary Jones has criticised an NHS doctor for refusing to get vaccinated against Covid-19.

Appearing on Good Morning Britain, Jones said it is “unethical” for a doctor to refuse to be vaccinated while still working with patients.

Last week, doctor Steve James gained attention online after a video appeared on social media of him telling the health secretary Sajid Javid that he would not be getting vaccinated.

James later appeared on GMB and was interviewed by Susanna Reid and Richard Madeley about his refusal to be vaccinated.

He told them he was “not anti-vax” but said he would not get the jab as he was a “fit and well man”.

Jones later appeared to counter James’ views, criticising him for putting his patients at risk: “He talks about the risk to himself, there is an ethical duty for doctors under the GMC regulations in communicable diseases to immunise yourself to protect the risk to your patients and clearly that isn’t happening here.”

Jones then explained why James should get the jab: “Having not been vaccinated, he is likely to have a higher viral load when he’s been infectious, and to carry that virus for longer. All the science shows that transmission in an unvaccinated person is likely to carry on for longer than it would in a vaccinated person.”

According to information provided by the government, two doses of the Covid vaccine are very effective at preventing symptomatic infection. A booster jab will also provide over 90 per cent protection against serious infection among adults over 50.