Exploring perceptions of the NHS England Vaccination programme within the Pakistani and Bangladeshi communities in Milton Keynes

Healthwatch Milton Keynes was commissioned to undertake engagement with the Bangladeshi and Pakistani communities to hear views on the current offer of vaccinations and how to improve accessibility.  They spoke to 22 people.

People’s responses varied more by their economic status, occupation, or their education level than their ethnicity. People who worked in healthcare or had close family that did, or those who held jobs that required degree level qualifications were far more likely to express a positive opinion of the NHS vaccination programme and were happy to disclose that they, and their families, had been vaccinated.

People who were self-employed, or in lower paid, contract, or otherwise unstable work were less likely to disclose their vaccination status to us and were more likely to have a more negative view of the vaccination programme. Their views on the vaccination programme were firmly tied to their views on the overall pandemic response and restrictions and how supported, or otherwise, they had been during this time.

Decision making was affected by people's experience of how they felt treated by the Government during the pandemic and what information they had access to.  Some people felt that information they were given by faith leaders had a greater influence on them than official information.  They would prefer to get answers from other people in their community.

People preferred getting vaccinated in mass vaccination clinics as they were easy to get to and had good parking.  They were concerned about GPs doing vaccinations as it was already difficult to access GP services.