Vaccine hesitancy videos make a big impact

Between April and June this year, the RSM ran a series of videos to provide the public with evidence-based responses to concerns and questions about Covid-19 vaccines. The videos were presented by trusted health experts Dr Chris van Tulleken, Dr Carter Singh, Dr Karan Rangarajan and Dr Farzana Hussain.

As efforts have stepped up over the last few months to encourage UK adults to have the Covid-19 jab, there is a significant proportion of people who are reluctant to have the jab, amid fears and concerns about the vaccine.

National statistics show that uptake is significantly lower among Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) communities. As the vaccine rollout reached younger age groups, some vaccination centres are operating at 30% capacity, with reports suggesting some younger adults feel they don’t need the vaccine to protect themselves.

All the experts taking part in the video series are involved in the vaccination roll-out and answered questions around a range of issues, including the long-term effects of the jab, taking the vaccine during Ramadan, whether the vaccine affects fertility and whether people who are immunocompromised should have the jab.

Funded by Dangoor Education, the video campaign has had over 396,000 views to date.