Apsana Begum MP seeks to reassess vaccination priorities

LABOUR MP Apsana Begum has asked the government to reassess vaccination priorities in light of pandemic BAME community statistics.

“The mortality rate from Covid-19 among people of black, African descent in English hospitals was 3.5 times higher when compared to rates among white British people. Besides, people of Bangladeshi ethnicity had around twice the risk of death when compared to people of White British ethnicity, and 95 per cent of doctors who have died were BAME," said Begum, who represents Poplar and Limehouse in the Parliament.

In an Early Day Motion (EDM), signed by parliamentary colleagues from Labour, Liberal Democrats and SNP, she said: "BAME communities should be prioritised for a vaccine rollout in addition to the other vulnerable groups and healthcare workers; and calls on the Government to amend its advice on priority groups for COVID-19 vaccination in order to reflect this.”

This EDM comes after statistics have consistently shown that those from ethnic minority backgrounds have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic.

The Poplar and Limehouse MP has questioned the health secretary Matt Hancock on the issue of vaccination priorities, and prime minister Boris Johnson on testing priorities.