Bilingual GPs from Sheffield have recorded videos in languages that reflect the diverse communities of the city to encourage people to have the covid vaccination.
The short videos explain the benefits of having the vaccine and respond to people’s concerns about its safety and ingredients.
Dr Andrzej Kurpiel is a retired GP who speaks Slovakian and is well known in the Roma community. His video is released today and it shows him being vaccinated.
He said: “I am aware of the mistrust Roma Slovak’s have towards medics and authority in general because of a history of discrimination against them so I really wanted to have the opportunity to speak up. I hope that seeing someone they know and respect receiving a vaccine and giving them a few facts and encouragement in their own language will persuade more of them to take it up. The way I see it, if my brief message, persuades just one person who would have died to help themselves be protected, the venture will have been extremely worthwhile.”
Several thousand social media users have already seen, and shared the videos in Hindi, Urdu and Punjabi, voiced by GPs from the Manor and Park Group Practice.
Dr Alam Khalil-Khan, whose message is in Urdu, said: “I wanted to help dispel the misinformation surrounding the covid vaccines, particularly amongst black and minority ethnic communities. As a BAME person and a family GP, I can reassure members of those communities that any rumour you may have heard about long-term side effects or any suggestion the vaccines contain animal products, such as beef or pork, are untrue. The vaccination of each and every one of us is vital in our fight against Covid-19.”
His colleague, Dr Yasar Khan speaks Punjabi and he agrees. He said: “I felt it was important to use my language skills to let people in the South Asian community know that the vaccine can save lives and they should get vaccinated when invited by the NHS.”
Sheffield is an ethnically diverse city, with around 20% of its population from black or minority ethnic groups. BAME communities have been disproportionately affected and research has shown that there is lower uptake of the vaccination.
NHS Sheffield Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) and GP practices are engaging with BAME communities in innovative ways, including being the first CCG in Yorkshire to hold a vaccination pop-up clinic in a mosque. About a 100 people had their vaccination at the Jamia Ghausia Centre, Firth Park Road, the majority from the Muslim community.
Alun Windle, Chief Nurse and Covid Vaccination Lead at NHS Sheffield Clinical Commissioning Group, said: “I am delighted to see the impact our engagement is already having on BAME people. I hope everyone will share these videos and support our efforts reach people who may not speak fluent English.
“We are working in partnership with community organisations in the city, to answer any particular questions black and ethnic minority people may have about the ingredients and safety of the vaccine and to ensure that we overcome any hurdles that may prevent them from receiving it. We also want to remind people that once they have been vaccinated they still need to follow the social distancing rules and wear a mask as you can still catch and pass on the virus.”
The videos can be found on the NHS Sheffield CCG’s YouTube channel.