Vaccine uptake in Bangladeshi and Pakistani communities

Healthwatch Leeds was commissioned by NHS England to find out with people from Bangladeshi and Pakistani communities:

• Their past experience in getting vaccinations including for Covid-19 and flu
• How they perceive NHS vaccination services
• Where they access information about vaccinations
• Identify any barriers to access,
• What influences their decision around vaccines.

They spoke to 31 people.

Almost all said they would consider an additional dose of the Covid vaccine in the future. However, there is less urgency as fewer people are seen getting seriously ill and dying of Covid in the community and some felt adequately protected because they’d had Covid and/or they’d had some doses of the vaccine. If there were a surge in cases, a new dangerous variant, or if vaccination was once again required for travelling, people would be more likely to get the vaccine.

People were  unsure or unhappy about receiving both Covid-19 and flu vaccination at the same appointment. People were concerned about possible increased side effects or complications. People were also not keen on the idea of family appointments because of the risk of people experiencing side effects simultaneously which might impact the running of the household.

Most participants are aware of the flu vaccine and its purpose although some people were not clear about eligibility, including that over 50s were now eligible for it.

Offering Covid vaccines as a walk-in service at local pharmacies was also seen as helpful. However, some people were unaware that pharmacies already offered flu vaccinations. Others would prefer it to be in health settings with patient record access. People with school age children also suggested schools could have a role to play in both offering vaccinations and/or cascading information to parents.

There were concerns raised about the nasal flu vaccine routinely offered to children not being halal. Only one person out of 31 knew that the adult flu vaccine (which doesn’t contain pork gelatine) can be offered to children. Knowing the halal status of vaccines was very important to people when making their decision about whether to have them.

Offering drop-in vaccinations at local community locations within walking distance and providing interpreters would help encourage people to get vaccinated. Additionally offering vaccinations on evenings and weekends was seen as helpful.

People felt that employers giving time off work to get the vaccine and recover would help people get additional doses of the vaccine. This was also important for people who needed to help older family members get to appointments as they helped not only with practicalities like transport but also with translation if the person didn’t speak English. During the pandemic, there had been a perceived increase in flexibility and understanding from employers to enable this to happen, but people felt that this was no longer there.

Everyone who was asked said they wanted to be able to book vaccinations by phone or face-to face rather than via a national website. They also said that they would prefer this to be via their GP rather than via a national call centre. This was particularly an issue for around a third of participants who did not know how to use or have access to any technological devices such as a smartphone, computer, or tablet. For those that were online, text reminders containing a booking link were helpful but for those without digital access, were a barrier.

All participants said they made their own choices and decisions about their health but acknowledged that family members do play an important role in influencing decisions. People generally agreed that if they were told by people of status (e.g., a doctor, a social worker, an Imam) to get the vaccine, they would be more likely to. Some people said they had chosen not to be vaccinated because they didn’t trust how quickly it had been developed and that it had only been around a short time.

The report contains six recommendations about location of vaccine clinics, information about the vaccines and the need for targeted communications.