Hugh Sheridan praises America’s COVID-19 vaccination rollout and says ‘even a tourist’ can get jabbed as soon as they land at ‘over 100’ hubs around LAX airport – after he had his Johnson & Johnson shot in Los Angeles
Hugh Sheridan has praised America’s successful Covid-19 vaccine rollout – and expressed disappointment that his native Australia had fallen behind.
The actor received the Johnson & Johnson jab during a trip to Los Angeles, where he was working on a project, in June.
The 36-year-old says he was unvaccinated when he arrived in America, but as soon as he landed, he was given a list of 100 venues he could get a jab that were close to LAX airport.
Success: Hugh Sheridan (pictured) has praised America’s successful Covid-19 vaccine rollout – and expressed disappointment that his native Australia had fallen behind
‘First thing they asked was: ‘Are you vaccinated?’ And when I said no, they handed me a piece of paper which had a hundred locations within a mile of the airport,’ he told The Daily Telegraph on Saturday.
‘You don’t even have to be an American citizen, even tourists can have the free vaccination,’ he added.
Hugh said he was shocked by how open and lively New York was, while Australia continues to struggle with lockdowns due to a botched vaccine rollout.
Easy! Hugh was unvaccinated when he arrived in America, but as soon as he landed, he was given a list of 100 venues he could get a jab that were close to LAX airport. ‘You don’t even have to be an American citizen, even tourists can have the free vaccination,’ he said
‘We witnessed their intense lockdown while Australia was still open and we thought we were smashing it. Now they are fully vaccinated,’ he said of the USA.
Hugh added that the vaccine messaging in Australia needs to change to ‘you could still catch it, but you won’t die’ to get more jabs in arms.
It comes after the actor revealed that a false-positive test for COVID-19 last year damaged his mental health.
Close by: ‘First thing they asked was: ‘Are you vaccinated?’ And when I said no, they handed me a piece of paper which had a hundred locations within a mile of the airport,’ he told The Daily Telegraph on Saturday. Pictured: Americans being vaccinated
Doing well: Hugh said he was shocked by how open and lively New York was, while Australia continues to struggle with lockdowns due to a botched vaccine rollout. ‘We witnessed their intense lockdown while Australia was still open and we thought we were smashing it. Now they are fully vaccinated,’ he said of the USA. Pictured: Americans being vaccinated
‘I was sitting in that hotel room by myself and spiralling, crying because I was waiting for my body to change. I was expecting to get so very sick’ he told The Daily Telegraph.
‘So while I feel so much safer now I’ve had J & J [Johnson & Johnson] – on that last day in quarantine I was ringing the police, doctors, the nurse in the hotel from early that morning, I just wanted to know my result.’
Hugh tested positive for coronavirus at the end of August last year after returning to Australia from Los Angeles.
Upset: It comes after the actor revealed that a false-positive test for COVID-19 last year left him distressed. ‘I was sitting in that hotel room by myself and spiralling, crying because I was waiting for my body to change. I was expecting to get so very sick’ he said
However, just a week later, he tested negative for the virus, meaning that the first test was a false-positive.
At the time, the star described the whole ordeal as a ‘rollercoaster of emotions’ and incredibly confusing.
Before finding out that it was a false positive, Hugh admitted his mental health had suffered as a result of the diagnosis.
False: Before finding out that it was a false positive, Hugh admitted his mental health had suffered as a result of the diagnosis