Several national surveys suggest people from black, Asian and minority backgrounds are far more likely to reject having the Covid-19 vaccine than their white counterparts. Nazia Parveen and Annabel Sowemimo explain the root causes of this hesitancy
There are now more than 6 million people in the UK who have had at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine as efforts to speed up the inoculations process continue to intensify. But as more of those in the highest risk age groups get their jabs, there are growing concerns in government about the rates of vaccine hesitancy in some black and minority ethnic communities.
The Guardian’s communities correspondent Nazia Parveen tells Rachel Humphreys that, despite evidence that those in minority groups were hit hardest by the first wave of Covid-19 last year, they are among the least likely to take up the offer of a vaccine. Misinformation circulating on social media including false rumours that the vaccine may contain alcohol or pork have spread widely and are proving difficult to counter. But perhaps more challengingly, there are structural, cultural and language barriers to overcome too.
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