Covid myths blamed for low vaccine uptake in some communities

‘FAKE news’ and Covid myths are believed to be playing a part in a lower vaccine uptake in Coventry’s South Asian and black Caribbean and African communities.

Efforts are being made to help combat coronavirus vaccine hesitancy.

Last week, a study called Open safely - run by the University of Oxford and London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine - found around 60 per cent of black people over 70 have been vaccinated and 75 per cent of South Asians, compared with 90 per cent of white people.

‘Fake news’ and Covid myths are thought to be playing a part in the low uptake, including claims the vaccine contains animal products and is not halal, or that it causes infertility.

In Coventry, the Clinical Commissioning Group is working with church and community leaders to help encourage ethnic minorities to take up the offer of a life-saving vaccine.

Dr Sarah Raistrick, chair of Coventry and Rugby Clinical Commissioning Group, said: “There isn’t a simple one-solution fits all to reach out there and lots of it is about building trust within communities, not just of us as individuals but trust in the wider social systems.

“It is work we all need to do but the key people will be key influencers in those groups or hopefully young people who can influence the older ones.

“We are working on the South Asian group - not really the Indian sub-group of that as they have been highly vaccinated, but Bangeldeshi and Pakinstani people are taking the vaccine up in far lower rates than the white population.

“The black population of all backgrounds African and Caribbean have a much lower uptake as well.”

Asha Masih, a biomedical lab assistant at Coventry’s University Hospital Coventry and Warwickshire, is hoping to play her part in highlighting the importance of vaccinations by hosting a free online information event.

The event will bring together health professionals and community leaders to answer questions on the vaccine from members of the public, which is open to all but particularly hopes to target those from South Asian and black communities.

She said: “I thought it was very important to educate and bring the healthcare professionals together to speak to them in their own language to give them acknowledgement and a boost so they know it is alright. The South Asian community and Black community are not coming forward as much and the statistics show that.

“The main thing is the language problem. People understand the language but do not read or write and so cannot understand the literature going around. Faith factor is another big issue and there are also people who are vegetarians who are confused if they can have it.

“It is vital that they get vaccinated and also even after they do get vaccinated, they still need to wash their hands, cover their face and keep a distance.”

The bilingual event is being held via Zoom on Saturday, March 6, between 6pm and 7pm.