Grieving family's vaccine plea after 27-year-old's Covid death

The father of an unvaccinated 27-year-old woman who died from Covid-19 says he has "no doubt" she would still be alive if she had received the jab.

Rashelle Baird, from Brechin, died last week in Dundee's Ninewells Hospital after contracting the virus.

Stephen Baird said mother-of-three Rashelle had put off appointments to get the vaccine because she was busy with her children.

He said those receiving vaccination letters should "just get it done".

Mr Baird, from Arbroath, said his daughter was not anti-vaccine.

He said: "It was just more to with, every time she got an appointment in, she had something to do with the kids.

"So she put it off and put it off.

"She wanted to get her vaccine but she put her kids first."

Rashelle, who had asthma, initially thought she had caught a cold from her children, but her symptoms worsened and she was admitted to hospital.

She died after several days in hospital, having been placed in an induced coma in the intensive care unit.

Mr Baird said: "I think if she'd had the two injections she would have had that level of protection which would have stopped it getting as far as it did."

Rashelle's sister Lani Baird described her as "kind, bubbly, and always the life and soul of the party".

She said: "She was very determined to get it (the vaccination) done.

"And as we know, it's just the timing and we're now in a situation where we are."

Ms Baird said she hoped that her family's experience would change people's minds when it came to getting vaccinated.

She said: "I think we always assume that it happens to other people, that it doesn't happen to us.

"This virus is real. So, it's very important we do as much as we can to protect ourselves and others around us by getting vaccinated."