Minority groups in West Berkshire concerned with coronavirus vaccine

Online discussion to reassure minority groups vaccination is safe

PEOPLE from minority groups in West Berkshire are being urged to receive the Covid-19 vaccine.

A webinar to talk about concerns surrounding the vaccines and to debunk misinformation is being held next week.

The event is being organised by Community United in conjunction with West Berkshire Council’s Public Health team.

Community United West Berkshire is a not-for-profit community organisation established to benefit people of ethnic background, refugee communities and other marginalised, vulnerable adults, young adults and children in West Berkshire.

The event follows misinformation among ethnic minority communities leading to concerns about the uptake of the vaccine.

Community United directors Alice Kunjappy-Clifton, Carol Jackson-Doerge and Julian Swift-Hook said that cultural elements could be playing a part and that they wanted to debunk some of the myths.

Mrs Kunjappy-Clifton said that the team had been busy working to inform the ethnically diverse community and this was "more important now, especially with the testing and the vaccine".

She said: "It’s about getting the message right and at the same time addressing their concerns, which are cultural and historical.

"It’s been fast-paced. It’s not been easy, but the community needs that information."

Mrs Jackson-Doerge said: "Within the BAME community there’s a lot of mistrust of the vaccine and a lot of this goes back to a cultural dynamic.

"A lot of their communities get their information from their own countries."

She said that the speed of vaccine being developed, along with cultural elements, could be a cause but Community United was addressing how accurate information could be disseminated.

She said: "They are not hearing the same thing we are.

"It could be lingual, it could be cultural, you can’t single something out and say that’s the reason, it’s complex.

"The learning outcome from Covid is understanding cultural identity."

Mr Swift-Hook said: "There’s a lot of concern about coronavirus in all areas of the community, but these communities seem to be getting some very concerning and inappropriate messages about the vaccine."

He said that most of the messaging about the virus and the vaccines were being shared within social media and family echo chambers.

"With that in mind, it’s understandable that people are concerned, and if you factor in additional language issues where English is not their first language they can’t assimilate the information coming to them from the UK."

Mr Swift-Hook said that some people within ethnic minority communities had a reluctance to go to the police or engage with the authorities because of "a cultural approach or their experience of working with the police in another country, which has not necessarily gone well".

He said: "As a non-government, non-police, non-statutory organisation, it’s easier for us to be talking to communities, particularly considering our own diversity and our own diverse backgrounds supporting communities in general."

The resounding message was to receive the vaccine.

Mrs Kunjappy-Clifton, who also works for Healthwatch West Berkshire, said: "If they get the appointment, go for it."

Mrs Jackson-Doerge said: "The key message is that it’s safe to take the vaccine on many levels.

"It’s protecting the community and protecting their family."

Let’s Talk about the Covid-19 Vaccine Concerns will be held between 6.30pm and 8pm on Thursday, February 4
Contact info@communityunited.uk for more information.