Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Covid-19 Vaccination: Vulnerable Groups

Tuesday 23 February 2021 · 2 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 1 Partly answered 1 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Diane Abbott asked about the estimate of covid-19 vaccination levels among black and white people in the most vulnerable groups.
  • The Minister responded that more than 17.7 million people in the UK have received their first vaccination.
  • Diane Abbott requested the Minister to work with Public Health England to provide local directors of public health information to local MPs at a borough level.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Diane Abbott Lab Hackney North and Stoke Newington
NHS
Context

The question arises from concerns about disparities in vaccine uptake between black and white populations, particularly in vulnerable groups. The MP seeks specific estimates on these demographics to address potential health inequities.

Question

What estimate he has made of the level of covid-19 vaccination among (a) black and (b) white people in the most vulnerable groups?

Answer from Nadhim Zahawi

Overall, we are encouraged by the vaccine uptake in the most vulnerable groups, with more than 17.7 million people in the UK having now received their first vaccination. To date, black people, who account for around 3% of the population, make up 1.7% of those vaccinated, while white people, who account for 86% of the population, make up 82% of all those vaccinated in England.

Answered
Was this summary accurate? Tell us

How accurate was this summary? (1 = poor, 5 = spot on)

Get updates like this by email
Q2 Diane Abbott Lab Hackney North and Stoke Newington
NHS
Context

Concerns are raised about the potential for some racial or ethnic groups being left behind in achieving overall vaccination targets. The MP seeks to ensure that directors of public health provide detailed, local-level information to MPs.

Question

Will the Minister speak to Public Health England and ensure that local directors of public health make this information and other information in relation to specific cohorts available at a borough level to local MPs? He will be aware that the danger is that we could be hitting our vaccination targets overall, but certain groups are left behind. Many local MPs want to have some transparency about what is happening locally.

Answer from Nadhim Zahawi

I am grateful for the right hon. Lady's question. She and I visited the Hatzola first responders, who did an incredible job that Saturday night of vaccinating 364 people from not only the Haredi Hasidic Jewish community but the Muslim community as well. Our uptake plan has four key enablers: working in partnership with local government and directors of public health; removing barriers to access—in other words, access being available at the time and place that people need it; data and information, which we share with directors of public health, and we want to share it in more granular ways; and, of course, engagement, engagement, engagement.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The specifics on ensuring local directors provide detailed borough-level vaccination data were not directly addressed. The answer discussed broader strategies but did not commit to the specific ask.

Was this summary accurate? Tell us

How accurate was this summary? (1 = poor, 5 = spot on)

Get updates like this by email