Covid vaccinations for the Bangladeshi Community

If you are of Bangladeshi descent, you are at higher risk of getting Coronavirus – especially if you have a long-term condition such as diabetes, heart disease or respiratory conditions.  Our community do suffer from these conditions.

Compared to white British people, the risk of dying from Covid-19 is 1.8 times higher if you are a Bangladeshi or Pakistani man (slightly less if you’re a woman).

The NHS has told us their data already shows that our community is not taking the vaccine – these are our grandparents and our parents, the people who bought us to this country – they’re at risk. I do not want to see them suffer or die.

Our community is receiving lots of information and conspiracy theories from WhatsApp and social media. These messages are not from reputable sources and are scaremongering our elders and putting their lives at risk. We cannot see this continue. It’s our duty to get the facts and help our loved ones make informed decisions.

The NHS is making information available in lots of different languages as leaflets and films, websites can be translated into our community languages. It’s our responsibility to find this information and use it to make the right decision for ourselves and our loved ones who may need our advice.

Community Questions

I know our community has lots of questions about the vaccine, so I want to answer a few key ones:

What ingredients does the vaccine contain?

The approved COVID-19 vaccines do not contain any animal products or egg. The Department of Health and social Care (DHSC) has engaged with faith/vegetarian/vegan groups on vaccine components. They have met with faith leaders and the Moral and Ethical Advisory Group (MEAG), on COVID-19 immunisation and sought consideration of how best to clearly communicate about potential COVID-19 vaccines candidates.

The MHRA has confirmed that the COVID-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca and Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine do not contain any components of animal origin.

A full list of ingredients for the qualitative and quantitative composition of the vaccine can be found at point 2 in the Information for Healthcare Professionals of COVID-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca.

A full list of ingredients for the excipient composition of the vaccine can be found at point 6.1 in the Information for Healthcare Professionals of COVID-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca.

A full list of ingredients for the qualitative and quantitative composition of the vaccine and a full list of the excipient composition of the vaccine can be found at point 6 in the Information for Recipients of COVID-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca.

Can I Have a vaccination during Ramadan?

The British Muslim Council has confirmed that receiving the COVID-19 vaccines currently licensed in the UK will not invalidate the fast. Therefore, individuals should not delay their Covid-19 vaccinations on the account of Ramadan.

Are there any side effects?

Every single vaccine authorised for use in the UK has been authorised by the MHRA and the three components of authorisation are a safety assessment, an effectiveness assessment and a manufacturing quality assessment.

Like all medicines, vaccines can cause side effects. Most of these are mild and short-term, and not everyone gets them. These are important details which the MHRA always consider when assessing candidate vaccines for use. For the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, like lots of others, they have identified that some people might feel slightly unwell, but they report that no significant side effects have been observed in the over 43,000 people involved in trials. All patients will be provided with information on the vaccine they have received, how to look out for any side effects, and what to do if they do occur, including reporting them to the MHRA.

For more information and a full list of frequently asked questions and answers, visit www.JoinedUpCareDerbyshire.co.uk (the site can be translated into different languages) or follow on social media.

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