Vaccine facts social media campaign aims to stamp out Covid misinformation among ethnic minorities
2 min readImams, pastors and clinicians are fronting a Government social media campaign designed to combat the spread of vaccine misinformation among minority ethnic communities.
The trusted community figures, including the Reverend Alton Bell, senior pastor at Wembley Family Church and Dr Onyinye Okonkwo, a GP from Birmingham, appear in short videos and pictures encouraging viewers to be wary of false claims about the coronavirus vaccine and to check information closely before sharing it with others.
The images and videos are intended to be shared through messaging app WhatsApp, Facebook community groups and wider social media platforms including YouTube, Twitter and Instagram, following concerns from the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) around low vaccine uptake among minority ethnic communities.
It is the first Government campaign designed largely for use on private messaging services, where false claims and news can quickly spread, warning viewers not to share Covid-19 information unless they are confident it’s coming from an expert and appears to be trustworthy.
False claims linked to the safety and efficacy of the coronavirus vaccines is a major obstacle to vaccinating the nation. Leading doctors have encouraged faith leaders to speak to elderly members of minority ethnic groups to “dispel fears” around vaccine hesitancy, particularly given mounting evidence that people from Black, Asian and other minority ethnic groups are disproportionately more likely to die from the virus.
Dr Nikki Kanani, Medical Director of Primary Care for NHS England, warned last month that doctors were being forced to fight “dual epidemics” – both Covid and an onslaught of disinformation, particularly around falsehoods linked to the vaccine.
“With more than 13 million people in England choosing to get their vaccine already, we must continue to encourage and persuade people who remain unsure that getting this protection is vital,” she wrote in i.
“We must keep spreading the word to those next in line that this vaccine is safe and effective for all, regardless of ethnicity, race, religion or background.”
