New video aims to reach ethnic minority communities hesitant over Covid vaccine
Famous faces from British black and Asian communities have fronted a new video hoping to dispel myths around the Covid vaccine causing hesitancy.
Prominent figures such as comedian Romesh Ranganathan, writer and actor Meera Syal, cricket Moeen Ali and ITV News presenter Rageh Omaar have all recorded their support for people to get vaccinated.
Analysis released in December last year suggested that black, Asian and minority ethnic groups were worst hit by the pandemic because of where they live and work.
An Office for National Statistics survey of data spanning the first national lockdown sought to explain why people from those communities are more likely to die and suffer poorer mental health.
It found that between March 2 and July 28:
Black, Asian and other ethnic groups were more likely to die from coronavirus than white people.
Black African men were impacted the most as they were at least twice as likely to die from the virus as white men.
Growing concerns around vaccine scepticism has led to calls to prioritise high-risk minority ethnic groups.
With this hesitancy around the vaccine threatening to further hit communities, the video aims to dispel dangerous misinformation around the jabs.
The full list of participants in order of appearance in the video:
Meera Syal
Shobna Gulati
Moeen Ali
Adil Ray (Organiser of video)
Konnie Huq
Abdullah Afzal
Boman Irani
Sean Fletcher
Nazir Afzal
Rageh Omaar
Colin Salmon
Asma Khan
Shobu Kapoor
Sanjeev Bhaskar
Romesh Ranganathan
Bhavna Limbachia
Sonali Shah
Shola Mos-Shogbamimu
Asim Chaudhry
Mehreen Baig
Sayeeda Warsi
Ria Hebden
Nina Wadia