Following a campaign to promote COVID-19 vaccine safety to ethnic communities, Cheshire and Merseyside NHS has reported a positive increase in uptake across Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic communities.
The integrated campaign drew upon insights from an in-depth study, conducted by Cheshire and Merseyside Health Partnership, which examined the attitudes and views of ethnic communities to COVID-19. It teamed up with local representatives from ethnic communities across the region to directly address the key barriers identified and encourage vaccine uptake.
Data uncovered from the COVID Vaccinations Epidemiology app on the Cheshire and Merseyside’s CIPHA (Combined Intelligence for Population Health Action) system found a remarkable increase in vaccine uptake during the campaign period.
In April, White British people in Cheshire and Merseyside were 21% more likely to come forward for the vaccine when offered, compared to the region’s Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities. However, there was a remarkable shift in vaccine uptake for ethnic communities in May and the gap narrowed to just 11%.
These figures have been strengthened by a recent sentiment study by Cheshire and Merseyside Health Partnership which found that over half (58%) of ethnic minorities surveyed said their views of the vaccines had become more positive since they first heard about them.
Post campaign research reinforced this further by showing that the campaign itself could be attributed to this positive shift in sentiment. A pre and post survey showed an increase in likelihood to take vaccination from 68% to 79% for those who had seen the campaign.
Christine Hughes, Executive Director of Communications and Engagement at Cheshire and Merseyside Health and Care Partnership, said:
“It is encouraging to see that we are reaching more people from minority ethnic communities across the region to dispel misinformation and build confidence.
“By developing a deeper understanding of local ethnic communities, identifying drivers and directly addressing barriers, we were able to engage with ethnic communities in a way that was relevant to them. This in-depth understanding was one of the main drivers behind this positive shift in behaviour.
“It is now critical that we continue to work alongside ethnic communities from across the region to ensure they are receiving real time facts and advice from trusted community leaders and health professionals. We also want to thank all of our nine local authorities for embracing and promoting the campaign, which is making a real difference in saving lives.”
The study was co-funded by Cheshire and Merseyside Health and Care Partnership, NHS England and NHS Improvement, Public Health England and Cheshire and Merseyside’s Directors of Public Health.