To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, with reference to the Department of Health and Social Care’s press release on uptake of covid-19 vaccinations within the Black community published on 30 March 2021, what steps she is taking to tackle low levels of trust in institutions and authorities within the Black community; and what information her Department holds on levels of trust amongst the Black community in those institutions and authorities.
Answered on
29 April 2021
The Government has access to, and regularly monitors, data with breakdowns by ethnicity on trust in public institutions, trust in government, attitudes towards the vaccine programme and wider government policy on COVID-19. The Government also carefully monitors data on vaccine uptake, intention to take a vaccine and reasons for hesitancy. This is from a number of sources, including data from the ONS and other surveys.
There is a significant cross-government programme of work underway to increase confidence in the vaccination programme and to drive uptake among ethnic minority groups. This includes hosting vaccination centres in places of worship, tackling misinformation through the Counter Disinformation Unit and, through the Government's Community Champions scheme, using trusted local voices to encourage uptake.
There is also a wider government communications campaign using media medics and recognised voices across ethnic minority and faith communities to build trust and encourage vaccine uptake.