Bangladeshis urged to get the jab

STAR of The Great British Bake Off Nadiya Hussain (right), MasterChef’s Saliha Mahmood and Asma Khan from Netflix’s Chef’s Table have all urged Asians to take the Covid vaccine.

They are sharing messages as part of an international vaccination campaign, backed by the United Nations, aimed to increasing vaccine confidence among British Bangladeshis.

“Education is empowering. By educating ourselves around vaccination it allows us to encourage our family members, loved ones and communities to get the vaccine,” said Hussain, winner of The Great British Bake Off in 2015, in a video message. As many as 76,106 people or 15 per cent of Bangladeshi ethnicity have so far received a first dose of the vaccine in England.

Dr Saliha Mahmood Ahmed, who works for the NHS and won MasterChef in 2017, said: “It is imperative we talk the language of these communities. As an NHS doctor but also as a woman and mother from this community, I hope to use this platform to spread a positive message around vaccination.”

Asma Khan, chef of Darjeeling Express, said: “Food is at the heart of our communities and our families, and the quicker we get vaccinated the quicker we will be able to enjoy meals together with our loved ones.”

To boost vaccine uptake, health officials have engaged with community and faith leaders to gain their endorsement of the vaccine and set up vaccination sites at places of worship for ease of access. Information about the vaccine has also been translated into 20 different languages.

Pasha Khandaker, MBE of the Bangladeshi Caterers Association, said, “I have been vaccinated and urge all members of the British-Bangladeshi community to do so too.”