People from minority ethnic backgrounds are less likely to take the coronavirus vaccine, according to polling for the Royal Society for Public Health.
Three-quarters (76%) of the 2,076 UK adults polled said they would take a Covid jab if advised to by their GP or another health professional, but among respondents from black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) backgrounds the proportion fell to 57%. For white respondents the figure was 79%.
However, among BAME respondents who were not willing to be vaccinated, 35% said they were likely to change their minds and get the jab if their GP gave them more information, compared with 18% of white people who were initially unwilling.
The RSPH chief executive, Christina Marriott, said the results of the polling were highly concerning but unsurprising. “We have known for years that different communities have different levels of satisfaction in the NHS and more recently we have seen anti-vaccination messages have been specifically targeted at different groups, including different ethnic or religious communities,” she said.
“But these are exactly the groups which have suffered most through Covid.
“They continue to be most at risk of getting ill and most at risk of dying. So the government, the NHS and local public health must rapidly and proactively work with these communities.”
The UK has become the first western country to license a vaccine against Covid. On 8 December, Margaret Keenan, aged 90, became the the first patient in the world to receive it. The government’s joint committee on vaccination and immunisation has published a list of groups of people who will be prioritised to receive a vaccine for Covid-19. The list is:
1 All those 80 years of age and over and health and social care workers.
2 All those 75 and over.
3 All those 70 and over.
4 All those 65 and over.
5 Adults under 65 at high at risk of serious disease and mortality from Covid-19.
6 Adults under 65 at moderate risk of at risk of serious disease and mortality from Covid-19.
7 All those 60 and over.
8 All those 55 and over.
9 All those 50 and over.
10 Rest of the population.
Numerous studies have shown Covid death rates in the UK for most ethnic minorities to be higher – significantly so in some cases – compared with white ethnic groups. A report published on Tuesday by parliament’s women and equalities committee found one of the causes of the disparity to be “entrenched health inequalities”.
The poll for the RSPH, carried out by Yonder between 4 and 6 December, found confidence was lowest among respondents of Asian ethnicity, with 55% likely to say yes to a jab.
Jabeer Butt, the chief executive of the Race Equality Foundation, said: “These findings are not surprising in light of past experience of the reach of vaccines to BAME communities, but they appear to be particularly worrying as it suggests the Covid vaccine may not reach communities that have been disproportionately impacted.
“It is imperative that the NHS uses trusted channels like BAME-led voluntary organisations to reach and address concerns of BAME communities and ensure that the disproportionate impact of Covid is not exacerbated.”
People on lower incomes are also less likely to take the vaccine, according to the polling, with 70% of the lowest earners saying they were likely to do so, compared with 84% of the highest earners. The RSPH said this should also be of concern to the government, given death rates from Covid in the poorest areas have been more than double those in better-off areas.
The poll found that men (80%) were more likely to get the jab than women (73%). Overall, just 8% of those surveyed said they would be very unlikely to take a coronavirus vaccine.
Nadhim Zahawi, the government minister responsible for Covid vaccine deployment, said: “All vaccines go through a robust clinical trial process and are only given to patients once they have met the strict safety, effectiveness and quality standards of the UK’s medicines regulator, the MHRA.
“The NHS will provide advice and information at every possible opportunity, including working closely with BAME communities, to support those receiving a vaccine and to anyone who has questions about the vaccination process.”
