Saturday 16 January 2021

Vaccine Reluctance in BAMEs?

It's somewhat worrying that the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) have revealed, a UK Household Longitudinal Study, suggesting entrenched vaccine reluctance in some ethnic groups (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jan/16/covid-vaccine-black-people-unlikely-covid-jab-uk). Sadly, vaccine reluctance seems highest, in many of the groups, who are most likely to die from a Covid-19 infection. The study had more than 12,000 participants but it is unclear how many of them fell into particular Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) categories (this is important, because if they were few in number, percentages can be inflated by a few negative responses). The data suggest, however, that 72% of black people are 'likely or very unlikely' to be vaccinated. 42% of people from Pakistani or Bangladeshi backgrounds, responded in a similar way. All of these groups are over-represented (probably largely due to socio-economic factors) in mortality figures for the viral infection. We really need action to convince them of the benefits (to themselves and their communities) of vaccination. This would best come from doctors from a similar background.

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