Vaccination refusal and ethnicity

David Misselbrook is a retired London GP. He is currently deputy editor of the BJGP.

Editorial comment

The UK is doing relatively well at vaccinating its population against Covid-19, with over 8% of the population now vaccinated, a proportion only surpassed by Israel and the United Arab Emirates. And we are way ahead of most of our European neighbours, but there is a long way to go. The nation is rolling up a sleeve and forming an eager queue, desperately hoping that 2021 will see an end to this deadly and dismal pandemic.

But perhaps not all the nation? Today we publish two articles in BJGP Life exploring why the intention to be vaccinated against Covid-19 is very significantly lower in some of the ethnic minority population, many of whom are at greater risk from the disease. This is an issue that we must get to grips with urgently if we are to reduce deaths and narrow the gaps of disadvantage that many in these groups already face. The BJGP has published an editorial as a call to action.

Featured articles:

Tolerating a difference of opinion. Samar Razaq

Addressing the elephant in the room: COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in Black and Asian communities. Julia Darko

And linked editorial in BJGP: 

Harnden A,  Lim W and Earnshaw A. COVID-19 vaccination programme: a central role for primary care. BJGP 25 January 2021; bjgp21X714929. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3399/bjgp21X714929

Featured photo by United Nations COVID-19 response on Unsplash