Extra support for city as Delta variant sweeps through poorest areas
Thousands of vulnerable people still unvaccinated
THOUSANDS of over-50s, health workers and carers across Birmingham have not taken up the Covid vaccine.
New data reveals that 61,000 of those invited to take a first vaccine have not taken up the offer, despite repeated attempts to persuade them.
And around a quarter of all health workers and carers in the city have yet to have their jab, despite the possibility of spreading the infection.
This week it was revealed that Birmingham is now facing new surge measures as well as ‘guidance’ to restrict travel into and out of the city as cases of the new Covid Delta variant begin to soar.
Fifteen areas of Birmingham have been identified as most at risk and questions are now being asked about whether enough was done to reach the most vaccine-resistant communities.
From the start it was clear some parts of the city were not taking up the vaccine as readily as others.
Investigations showed some ethnic communities were displaying a collective resistance to vaccination, falling dramatically behind the more wealthy and predominantly white parts of the city.
Reports showed that nearly half of black African residents deemed most at risk if they catch the virus (over 70 and the extremely clinically vulnerable) had not yet taken up the vaccine offer, with a take-up rate of 53%.
There was also a significantly lower uptake among the area’s Caribbean, Pakistani and Bangladeshi communities, with rates averaging out across the priority groups as Caribbean, 59%; Bangladeshi, 65%; Pakistani, 63%.
Among those who identified as white British, or mixed British, the take-up rate was 91%.
MP Liam Byrne, said: “In the richest wards in Birmingham, we have vaccination rates that are over 90%; in the poorest wards, we have vaccination rates that are under 60%.
“Underpinning and exacerbating this problem is the fact that our testing uptake has a similar pattern. In fact, the amount of testing in the richer wards is 60% greater than the testing in the poorer wards.
“We have people who cannot afford to find out they have Covid but happen to live in wards where the vaccination uptake is lowest.
“Cases are now concentrated in the poorest places, and the risk is that these poor places will languish in a kind of long Covid for many more months than richer places.”
This week, the Government and Birmingham City Council revealed ‘enhanced support’ status for the city, with renewed urgency to vaccinate as many people as possible, as quickly as possible.
Dr Justin Varney, director of public health for the city, said: “We are concerned about people not taking up the vaccine, of course.
“Across the city we have together made a huge effort to answer questions,
Cases are now concentrated in the poorest places Liam Byrne MP (Labour, Hodge Hill)
holding community events, providing information in different languages to help people get their questions answered. Given the amount of fake news it’s understandable people want their questions answered.
“GPs have put in extra time to speak to people with medical conditions or concerns – yet we still have this large number of people not yet vaccinated. That is really worrying.”
He said: “The Delta variant is more infectious and there are emerging signs it is more dangerous and putting more people in hospital.
“There is enough vaccine in the city to vaccinate anyone who is eligible.”
He said there were hotspots – identified as those areas where vaccination take up was low, case rates historically high and testing for the virus was also low.
“A large proportion of the city is below the 90% rate we want to see,” he said.
On the new travel guidance Dr Varney added: “It’s fine to go to the shops in Birmingham but we ask you not to go to Stratford for that day trip, not to go to Alton Towers.”
The city will now see a surge in vaccinations, backed by Government support, including community popup sites, more pharmacies offering the vaccines, and more whole family vaccinations.
Additional larger vaccination sites would also join Aston Villa, Millennium Point and Edgbaston cricket ground as vaccine hubs.
Hospitalisations remain low but are creeping up – from 26 inpatients with Covid in the QE, Heartlands and Good Hope hospitals last Friday, to 46 on Monday.
“It’s at least a month between case rates rising and hospitalisations,” said Dr Varney. “We are also seeing a lot more pressure on GPs and walk-in sites from people seeking medical attention for Covid. One jab gives some protection, two gives best protection – but sadly too many have not yet taken their first jab.”
Mohammed Ali, a community activist and radio show host in Alum Rock, admitted he had not taken up his vaccine offer until very recently, despite sharing positive messages and running a campaign on the community radio channel.
He believes others had not taken up their offer for similar reasons to his – time and convenience.
He said resistance was also still in part due to fear of the vaccine, particularly the AstraZeneca version – but said language barriers, a lack of easy access, cultural resistance and a lack of trust all played a part.