LONDON MOSQUE PROVIDES A SAFE SPACE FOR WARY MEMBERS OF SOCIETY TO BE VACCINATED
▶ Health workers use pop-up clinics to reach vulnerable people and tackle misinformation about Covid-19 shots
On a crisp and sunny morning, people gather in a large but socially distanced circle in the courtyard of one of the bestknown mosques in London.
All wear face masks and there is little to show that the group comprises doctors, medical students and volunteers. They are the team behind weekly pop-up clinics set up as part of a “community immunity” Covid-19 vaccination initiative.
There is a renewed sense of purpose as the group gathers at the heart of London Central Mosque during Ramadan.
Dr Yasmin Razak, a GP and clinical director of Neohealth Primary Care Network in north-west London, is among them. The group provides access, information and care to vulnerable and underserved members of society within surroundings they find familiar.
“The principle, really, is that patients need to have conversations in safe, trusted spaces with our specialist clinicians on hand to answer their questions, because, as we know from the news, there are lots of fears and worries around the vaccine,” she says.
Dr Razak says it is important to give people an opportunity to speak to healthcare workers and volunteers in private about being inoculated against the disease. She says she hopes those conversations lead everyone who visits the clinics to take the vaccine.
Two clinics have been held at the mosque already and the team will organise more during the holy month. Those will take place in the evening, so Muslims can attend after they break their fast.
“There will be people who are still needing their first dose in Ramadan – we still recommend that they come forward,” Dr Razak says.
She advises patients to drink water before and after they are inoculated to help them avoid developing a fever, a possible side effect of vaccination.
The group also ran clinics at other religious sites, including a church, a gurdwara and a synagogue. Dr Razak says they want to reach the most marginalised people in society, including undocumented migrants and homeless people.
“I do think there may be some more mistrust among certain communities, because of historical structural inequalities that exist in our system,” she says.
“This is a way to overcome those barriers and challenges and really engage properly with our communities and build up those relationships that are so vital to positive health outcomes.”
Covid-19 vaccination programmes in the UK progressed steadily, with more than 32 million people, about half the adult population, having received their first dose.
The success of the campaigns has been helped by authorities establishing large clinics capable of inoculating high numbers of people every day.
But Dr Razak says that not everyone is able to book appointments online. Other people have been notified by their doctor that they are eligible to receive the vaccine, she says.
Her group focuses on trying to reach people who are hesitant about taking the vaccine or vulnerable to misinformation about the shot.
“I think people don’t just go away with a jab in their arm. They go away with a really positive energy about what the National Health Service can do for them and what society, when we come together, can actually do. I think that’s the beauty of the vaccine programme,” Dr Razak says.
Ibrahim Mohamed, 41, and his wife Mayada Hilal, 39, were vaccinated at the mosque at the same time. They say they felt comfortable and safe and that speaking to the group about taking the shot gave them peace of mind.
The couple have a son with chronic health problems that make him vulnerable to Covid19. Mr Mohamed, a manager at a supermarket chain, says he was keen to be immunised to protect his family.
Ms Hilal says they were more comfortable being vaccinated at the mosque and that the process was quick and easy.
“We were feeling safe with the NHS – we trust them in anything. But of course, to be in the mosque, it’s a comfort zone for us,” she says.
“It was really nice for the government to arrange something for the Muslim community inside the mosque. I think this is really good.”
After a period of unemployment, Nimpuno Dewantoro, 51, accepted a cleaning job two months ago and was unable to find the time to book an appointment to be inoculated by his GP.
When he read a post on social media about a pop-up clinic at the mosque, he grasped the opportunity to take the shot.
Some people who visit the clinics do not speak English as their first language and the opportunity to discuss the vaccine with volunteers who speak their mother tongue helps to build confidence. It also allows the team to create meaningful connections with residents.
“One of the most important parts of coming out to a community centre, rather than doing it in a hospital, is giving our community the opportunity to lead themselves on delivery of service,” Dr Razak says.
The programme provides education, training and a chance to gain experience, she says. Oliver Porteous, a third-year medical student at Imperial College London, volunteers at the clinics regularly.
He normally administers doses but will sometimes be asked to give visitors a checkup before they leave.
“I like the community pop-ups because for a lot of patients the hospital is intimidating, whereas people are calmer here and this environment helps to tackle hesitancy,” says Mr Porteous, 21.
Some volunteers say they were hesitant to be vaccinated themselves before they joined the group and their concerns were assuaged.
One volunteer, Sarah, 18, says she wants to study medicine after administering shots to visitors.
Given the positive response from the community so far, the mosque will continue to host vaccination clinics throughout Ramadan. Dr Razak says she and her team will be ready to welcome visitors after sunset.
People don’t just go away with a jab in their arm. They go away with a positive energy about what the NHS can do DR YASMIN RAZAK Neohealth Primary Care Network