Fears low BAME vaccine uptake will 'cause deaths'

Health officials say they are working with community leaders to dispel the myths

BAME community leaders say more needs to be done to dispel Covid-19 vaccine myths otherwise it could "cause deaths".

People from ethnic minority backgrounds have been disproportionately dying with coronavirus.

Yet many from those communities are still refusing to be vaccinated when asked.

Associate non-executive director of Sirona Care Nura Aabe said if action is not taken it will "cause deaths".

The OpenSafely study, by the University of Oxford and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine recently found black people over the age of 80 were half as likely as their white peers to have been vaccinated against Covid.

The study was based on more than 20 million patient records in England.

Mrs Aabe, who is a Bristol PHD student, said she is "concerned" about the vaccine myths in the BAME and Somali communities and shared a picture of herself getting vaccinated online to debunk the myths.

Nura Aabe shared a picture of herself getting vaccinated online

She said: "There is a real reluctance for people taking their vaccination and this is not just everyday people, healthcare workers are also refusing."

Mrs Aabe said the myths are being read on the internet and include, things such as the vaccine causes, infertility, death, is not halal and is a "trial on black people".

She added: "Challenging these myths is more important than fears over stereotyping."

Haroon Kadodia said more work in the community was needed

Gloucestershire County Council minority ethnic communities engagement worker Haroon Kadodia said he has been doing "positive messaging" to dispel the myths.

He said: "It's getting quite worrying actually.

"We need to do more work in the community to make sure that people have the right understanding.

"Obviously people read messages and they come from sources from all over the place but when you actually have a conversation with people you know, especially in faith communities, it has more impact."

'No animal products'

Cheltenham GP and member of the Gloucestershire CCG Dr Mala Ubhi said health officials are trying to get the facts out through "trusted community leaders" against the misinformation.

She said: "We're hearing lots and lots of different concerns and requests for really good information.

"The vaccine has been thoroughly tested and it has no animal products in it and it is being endorsed by so many different community and faith leaders across the UK.

"I hope that gives people confidence."