Only 55% of people in Asian communities say they will take the jab – I find this incredibly upsetting
While the general uptake of the coronavirus vaccine has been great in the UK, with 76% of the general population saying they would take the jab when offered it, this figure drops to 57% in the imperfectly named BAME communities – and to 55% in Asian communities specifically. I have to confess to finding this frustrating and sad. In a world in which there are already enough degrees of separation enforced on people of colour, this willingness to add another is incredibly upsetting.
I recently participated in a video organised by the actor Adil Ray, in which we tired to dispel some of the myths about the vaccine. But while the response was overwhelmingly positive, there were people who kicked back: they said it was patronising – how was a video made by a bunch of celebrities going to make people suddenly decide to have the vaccine? There were even suggestions that we had been paid to support a government agenda.
