Dedicated clinic vaccinates over 180 members of ethnic minority communities

A dedicated clinic has successfully vaccinated over 180 members of the Dorset Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) community against COVID-19.

In a bid to dispel the myths and misinformation responsible for people being hesitant about the vaccine, Dorset HealthCare joined forces with the Bournemouth Poole and Christchurch Indian Community Group to arrange the clinic at the large scale vaccination site at the Bournemouth International Centre (BIC).

The hope was that the special clinic would encourage ethnic minority communities to get vaccinated and spread the message among their communities that they should receive this vital vaccine.

Belinda Andrews-Jones, Dorset HealthCare’s BIC vaccination centre Operations Manager, organised the event and said:

“Ethnic minority populations have a greater risk of both infection and death from COVID-19 infections and there is a growing evidence to suggest that people from these communities are less likely to take up the offer of a COVID-19 vaccine.

“To break down these barriers, we worked closely with the Bournemouth Poole and Christchurch Indian Community Group to encourage their community to come to our clinic and get vaccinated.

“We were really pleased that over 180 ethnic minority people came forward and received their first dose of the vaccine at our specially arranged clinic.”

Anjali Mavi from the Bournemouth, Poole and Christchurch Indian Community Group, added:

“The clinic was a fantastic opportunity for many of the our community to receive their vaccine, but also to raise awareness of why it’s important. It’s vital our community comes together to get vaccinated so we can all move forward and be COVID free.”

For further information about the COVID-19 vaccination and how eligible people can book, visit https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/