Some of the highest rates of death and serious illness during the pandemic have been among Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) communities. According to government data, Black ethnic groups have the highest diagnosis rates of COVID-19 and people of Bangladeshi ethnicity have twice the risk of death compared to those of white British ethnicity. Other ethnic groups (Chinese, Indian, Pakistani, other Asian, Caribbean and other Black) had 10%-50% higher risk of death compared to white British people.
Vaccination provides the most effective form of protection against COVID-19. But vaccine hesitancy is higher among some BAME groups than people from a white ethnic background, and uptake is lower.
Read the full article on The Conversation website, written by Professor Andrew Pollard, Dr Samantha Vanderslott and Dr Seilesh Kadambari of Department of Paediatrics / Oxford Vaccine Group.
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