'BAME experts at briefings could solve jab hesitancy in minorities': Professor Sir Geoff Palmer
8 February 2021, 09:58
'BAME scientists could change vaccine hesitancy in minorities'
BAME scientists standing beside the PM and advocating for the vaccine could change Covid jab hesitancy in ethnic communities, says Professor Sir Geoff Palmer.
His comments came after a slow uptake of the vaccine from ethnic communities has prompted a vaccine centre to close early three days in a row.
The John Scott vaccination centre in Hackney, a diverse area of inner London, has said the patient uptake is "really low" despite it being open to serve the boroughs of Hackney and City of London.
Professor Sir Geoff Palmer told Nick Ferrari: "We should have had black experts earlier standing beside the Prime Minister."
Professor Geoff said that when he had the vaccine his wife was "nervous" - yet they both took it because they did not "want to kill somebody else."
"I'm sure BAME people who are very decent people will go and get it if we get the information to them," he said.
He told Nick he was unsurprised about this hesitation and feared the campaign is too late: "This must not happen again. We must have BAME experts standing beside the powers that be...we've got black consultants, black doctors, these should be standing beside the powers that be."
Read more: 72% of black Britons are unlikely to have Covid jab: Sir Geoff Palmer theorises why
