Study reveals distrust of government and pharmacies will stop some Calderdale residents getting Covid-19 vaccine

Members of Calderdale Council’s Adults, Health and Wellbeing Board were considering a report by Healthwatch Calderdale which gathered and analysed feedback from communities.

Overall, significantly more people said they would have a COVID-19 vaccine than not and older people were more willing.

Those whose ethnicity was white British were more likely to have the vaccine but black, Asian and multi ethnicity (BAME) groups significantly were more likely to say they were unwilling or unsure, said the report.

Key concerns for those unwilling to have the vaccine included side effects and safety concerns, concern that development of vaccines was “too quick”, potential long term effects on health and fertility, whether the benefits outweighed the risk and understanding the vaccine.

Many people do not know how the vaccine works or what is in the vaccine, with particular concerns raised regarding animal products in the vaccine raised by those who are vegan or Muslim, who are worried the vaccine is not halal, the report says.

It adds that others who may not have the vaccine include those with a mistrust of government and the pharmaceutical industry, while others are worried they will be forced to have the vaccine.

Healwatch’s report concludes: “People from BAME communities, younger people and women are all more sceptical about COVID-19 vaccination than the wider population.

“It’s important to understand their concerns in greater detail to offer accurate information, where possible,that address those concerns.

“Some of the issues that people pose are not so easy to counter – whilst information can be provided about what is in the vaccine, how it is administered and how it works, it is not possible to provide information that addresses the mistrust of government and pharmaceutical companies.

“Instead consideration needs to be given to how Calderdale organisations can be a trusted information source.”

Dr Phil Wood of Leeds Teaching Hospitals, said reaching BAME communities having their own vaccination champions and advocates was having a significant impact.

Organisational development practitioner Eleanor Nossiter said the Briish Muslim Council had recently given a sermon through mosques and various Muslim groups had issued statements supporting vaccination and the Vegetarian Society and Vegan Society had also spoken out.

Kate Horne, of Calderdale Council’s public health team, said a vaccination clinic was going to be held at Madni Mosque in Halifax, which would be advertised in all Calderdale’s mosques.

Board members also asked about what measures were in place for Calderdale’s rough sleepers and were told 26 of them had been vaccinated in one day.

They were also told measures were in place for people who had been “missed” in the first round of vaccines and also in place to keep vaccine wastage to a minimum.