Are BAME communities really reluctant to take the COVID-19 vaccination?

Oxford University research has shown that the UK has some of the highest death rates from COVID-19 (Ourworldindata.org). It is noteworthy that data also reveal that Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) communities have been severely affected by COVID-19, with a disproportionate number of deaths recorded in both the first and second wave. Despite the UK being so badly affected, it has also administered one of the highest number of doses of the COVID-19 vaccination in the world, with over 28 million people having received their first dose (Gov.uk, 2021).

This is positive news; however, recent research on BAME communities has shown that there is a lack of uptake of the vaccination (Razia et al, 2021). The report by The Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH, 2020) confirms that immunisation in childhood is also significantly worse in the BAME communities (Forster et al, 2016). This led me to look at the reasons why and to try to understand how we can build up trust in the community. I undertook personal research into the barriers to the uptake of the COVID-19 vaccination in BAME communities.