Covid vaccine hesitancy among black people in UK halves

The proportion of black adults who say they are hesitant about having a coronavirus vaccine has roughly halved in a month, figures show, amid a major campaign of encouragement.

Positive sentiment generally towards vaccination has risen from 78 per cent in December to 94 per cent in March, the Office for National Statistics announced on Thursday.

The ONS said about one-fifth (22 per cent) of black adults in Britain reported hesitancy over the jab between mid-February and mid-March – half the 44 per cent who said they felt hesitancy during the previous month.

Despite the falling scepticism, it remains the highest level of hesitancy of any ethnic group, with 13 per cent of Asian adults in Britain and 12 per cent of those with mixed ethnicity remaining hesitant.

Sir Lenny Henry has written an open letter to encourage black Britons to take the vaccine, co-signed by stars such as Chiwetel Ejiofor, Thandie Newton and radio DJ Trevor Nelson.

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In the letter Sir Henry acknowledges the “legitimate worries and concerns” that some people feel, adding: “We know change needs to happen and that it’s hard to trust some institutions and authorities.

“But we’re asking you to trust the facts about the vaccine from our own professors, doctors, scientists involved in the vaccine’s development, GPs, not just in the UK but across the world including the Caribbean and Africa.”

The latest data on vaccination rates from the ONS show older people from black African backgrounds in the UK are more than seven times as likely as white British people to have not received a Covid jab.

The rate for people aged 70 and over who identify as black African receiving a first vaccine dose was estimated to be 58.8 per cent – the lowest in all ethnic minority groups, while the estimated rate for people identifying as white British was 91.3 per cent.

Despite the encouraging news that positivity towards the jab is increasing, the latest ONS numbers suggest significant scepticism is still prevalent in Britain’s black communities.

Tim Vizard, from the ONS public policy analysis division, said: “Over the past few months, we have seen attitudes across most of the population becoming more positive towards Covid-19 vaccination.

“However, there is still hesitancy among some groups, including young people, black or black British, and those living in the most deprived areas.”

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Marsha de Cordova, Labour’s shadow secretary of state for women and equalities, accused Boris Johnson’s government of “failing to tackle vaccine hesitancy and historical issues of structural racism”.

She toldThe Independent: “We need to vaccinate Britain, and that means a plan to ensure that black, Asian and ethnic minority people benefit equally from the vaccine too.”

The ONS defines “hesitancy” as adults who have refused a vaccine, or say they would be unlikely to get a vaccine when offered – and those who responded “neither likely nor unlikely” or “don’t know” or “prefer not to say” when asked.

Twelve per cent of adults in the most deprived areas of England reported some form of hesitancy, compared with three per cent of adults in the country’s least deprived areas, the ONS said. This was a drop from 16 per cent and 7 per cent respectively from the previous data period.

Professor Kevin Fenton, London’s regional director for Public Health England, said: “We know our black communities have been among the hardest hit during this pandemic.

“But we also know there are some among us who are less likely to come forward for the life-saving vaccine. We can all play a role in encouraging our friends and family to take it up when offered.”