Linda Lusardi says there hasn’t been ‘enough testing’ for the new Covid vaccine to be made mandatory

Linda Lusardi has said that she won’t be having the new Covid-19 vaccine as there hasn’t been ‘enough research or testing’.

The former glamour model, 62, who was left at ‘death’s door’ earlier this year while battling coronavirus, shared her concerns for the jab on Wednesday’s Good Morning Britain.

The UK is set to receive 10million doses should the drug gain approval, with the British Army and the NHS on standby to start issuing them to those most in need in December.  

Volunteers on the Pfizer vaccine trial have so far compared the jab’s side effects to a ‘severe hangover’ and said it left them with headaches, fever and muscle aches similar to the flu vaccine.   

Taking part in a debate about whether the Covid-19 jab should be made mandatory with the likes of Piers Morgan, Susanna Reid and Dr Hilary Jones, Linda said there needs to be more research.

After Piers, 55, said: ‘You feel strongly you’re not going to have the vaccine,’ the former soap star explained: ‘I’m not against people having a vaccine and I’m sure the majority of people will have the vaccine. 

‘My concern is there hasn’t been enough testing done. I know you had a scientist, Chris Smith, on the other day who said people who had Covid who have this vaccination may have side effects that are derogatory to the person.’

She added: ‘As most of the nation aren’t sure if they’ve had it or not, this may have side effects. A lot of people might become ill because of it.’

Linda admitted that she is ‘excited’ that there is a jab but is wary of how new it is, she continued: ‘I’m really excited that there is one but I don’t feel there’s been enough research so far for people like me to have a vaccine.’

Yet Dr Hilary, 67, hit back during the debate and said: ‘It’s been carried out on 50,000 in six different countries and all the data suggests it’s very effective. 

‘This vaccine looks like a really good candidate not just to protect the individual but the population at large.’ 

It comes after Linda recently revealed how she was coping with the impact of having had coronavirus and said her hair had started to fall out. 

The star also revealed her husband Sam, 51, who was hospitalised at the same time as her with the virus, was suffering from heart palpitations.

The former Page 3 girl made a miracle recovery despite being ‘at death’s door’ but she still isn’t fully back to normal.

She told The Sun in August: ‘Sam’s had heart palpitations quite badly, and he’s under a cardiologist at the moment. They can’t see anything specifically wrong. 

‘I’ve had some hair loss which has been a bit distressing. I still haven’t got the energy I had before although I’m getting there. Every week’s a bit better.’

Linda was hospitalised for 10 days and required oxygen and was attached to a drip during her terrifying ordeal. 

The Dancing on Ice star suffered from severe chest pain, fever and vomiting and at times hoped she would not wake up.

Linda’s children, Lucy, 24, and Jack, 21, have also struggled with the family’s double scare. 

She said: ‘The mental trauma of it has touched us all even though it was me who was sick. My children had to deal with the fact they might lose both of us and then me, and the mental effect it’s had on us has been very traumatic really.’