Why vaccine doubters pose a risk

IT has been a monumental national effort – likened to the Second World War for the community spirit and togetherness it has fostered.

A staggering 18,691,84 people have been given a coronavirus jab since 91-year-old Maggie Keenan rolled up her sleeve just 11 weeks ago, with some 700,000 being lucky enough to get both doses.

Uptake has been unprecedentedly high, with an astonishing 96 per cent of over-70s having taken up the offer. And with almost five times more jabs administered in the UK than in France, the speed of our vaccine programme is the envy of much of the world.

Yet for all the optimism surrounding the success story of the Government’s pandemic response, a sense of trepidation seems difficult to shake.

Vaccine hesitancy has officials worried that for all of the good work by the NHS and its army of volunteers, the minority declining the invitation could hinder the road out of the pandemic and even delay the reopening of society. Experts have warned that failure to reach these groups – primarily minority ethnic and some healthcare workers – could lead to outbreaks and even threaten further lockdowns.

Uptake is also expected to decline as the programme moves on to younger people in the coming months, leading to the more conservative estimate that 85 per cent will take up the offer come summer.

No 10’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies has warned low uptake among minority groups could pose a ‘significant risk’ to the vaccine drive if enough turn the jab down.

Figures this week showed 47 per cent of black African and 41 per cent of black Caribbean people in the top priority groups in Birmingham had not yet had a jab.

More than one third of over-70s and the extremely vulnerable of Pakistani and Bangladeshi descent in the city have also not had their first dose, according to a study by Birmingham City Council.

Efforts by the NHS and community leaders to respond to doubts about the inoculation drive seem to be yielding results with seminars shared on YouTube being watched tens of thousands of times.

Dr Shola Adeaga, a retired consultant who is a pastor for the Redeemed Christian Church of God, is one of hundreds of religious leaders who have taken part.

Based in Brent Cross, north-west London, he said: ‘One of the things that we’ve realised, certainly in the church community, is that people have a lot of confidence in their pastors because these are people that they’ve listened to and trusted over the years.

‘As we found, it’s certainly a lot more reassuring than just reading a post on social media that might have been posted many times around the world.’