Stars including Romesh Ranganathan, Shobna Gulati and Meera Syal are urging ethnic minorities to take the Covid vaccine when offered.
A moving five-minute video launched this week aims to debunk vaccination myths which are feared could hamper roll out among minority communities.
Organised by Citizen Khan actor Adil Ray, the video also features Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, actor Sanjeev Bhaskar, cricketer Moeen Ali and the television journalist Rageh Omaar.
A study found that ethnic minority adults were up to 20% less likely to accept the jab than white people.
The SAGE report found hesitancy was highest in black or black British groups, with 72% stating they were unlikely or very unlikely to get the jab, followed by Pakistani/Bangladeshi groups.
In the video, Adil says: “Looking after others and serving our community is what we do. It’s how we have been brought up. It’s why we have so much immense pride when a family member becomes a doctor and nurse. We have so much respect for them.
“They need our respect now more than ever. They need our help.”
The celebrities go on to address misinformation about the vaccine, with assurances there is no evidence it will work differently on people from ethnic minorities.
They also confirm it does not contain pork “or material of foetal or animal origin”.
Addressing one conspiracy theory, comedian Romesh says: “There’s no chip or tracker in the vaccine to keep watching where you go. Your mobile phone actually does a much better job of that.”
Abdullah Afzal, who stars alongside Adil in Citizen Khan, says: “In fact, the scientists who developed the most widely used [Pfizer] vaccine are Muslim, Prof Ugur Sahin and his... wife, Özlem Türeci, from Turkey.”
Many in the video reveal details of relatives who have been vaccinated.
Shobna Gulati, who played Coronation Street ’s Sunita Alahan, says: “We will find our way through this, and be united once again with our friends and our families. All we have to do is take the vaccination. My sister’s had the vaccine and I’m really looking forward to when it’s my turn.”
Adil said the clip, which has been viewed nearly 400,000 times since he posted it on Twitter, was recorded “independently from the Government”.
He added: “We felt that we’ve got to try and take the lead a little bit here and dispel some of the myths.”
Vaccine minister Nadhim Zahawi confirmed this week that hesitancy about taking the vaccine was “skewed heavily” towards BAME communities.
Many mosques are using their Friday sermons to urge people to have the jab.
The UK’s first vaccination centre in a mosque is due to be opened at Al-Abbas Islamic Centre in Birmingham.
