A vaccination clinic has been set up for Hackney's Black communities which have seen higher rates of vaccine hesitancy despite being at greater risk from Covid, data suggests.
Hackney Council, City and Hackney Clinical Commissioning Group, and local doctors are encouraging residents, especially those of Black Caribbean and Black African background to get the jab as they say it is the best way to be protected from coronavirus.
The news follows Public Health reports from 2020 which showed Black and Asian ethnic groups had higher death rates from Covid-19 and had between 10 and 50 per cent higher risk of death when compare to White British groups.
However, data released by The Royal College of GPs on February 7 suggests people from BAME backgrounds are less likely to receive the vaccine.
Hackney's Director of Public Health, Dr Sandra Husbands, who received her vaccine back in January, said: "I know some people have been wary of getting the vaccine and others were waiting to see, but it has been given to over 23 million people across the UK from all different ethnicities.
"I want to reassure you that the vaccines are safe - they have been tested thoroughly and are being monitored for side effects as they’re being rolled out, both here and abroad. Please book to get a vaccination at this special event and help keep yourself and your family safe from coronavirus.”
The vaccine clinic will take place on March 28 at the Bocking Street Vaccination Clinic in Hackney Central from 8.30am-7.30pm and local medical professionals will be on hand to answer questions about the vaccine.
To be eligible to book an appointment you must be a resident of Hackney or the City of London, aged 50 or over, be an unpaid carer or have a health condition that puts you at a higher risk of COVID-19.
Book your place by calling: 020 8356 3111 - lines open 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday.
If you are eligible for a vaccination and cannot make this date you can also book an appointment at one of the mass vaccination sites by calling 119 or going online to nhs.uk/coronavirus
To learn more visit hackney.gov.uk/coronavirus-vaccine
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