Celebrity chefs join NHS to boost Covid-19 vaccine uptake

FAMOUS chefs from UK’s favourite cookery shows have joined  with the NHS to tackle Covid vaccine hesitancy and boost uptake.

Great British Bake Off star Nadiya Hussain, MasterChef’s Saliha Mahmood and Asma Khan from Netflix’s Chef’s Table are all backing the vaccine drive focused on the British Bangladeshi community.

They are sharing messages as part of an international vaccination campaign, backed by the United Nations, aiming to increase vaccine confidence.

As many as 76,106 people or 15 per cent of Bangladeshi ethnicity have so far received a first dose of the vaccine in England.

Adil Ray, Meera Syal and Moeen Ali have participated in a recent campaign to dispel misinformation and increase vaccine confidence among South Asian Communities.

“Education is empowering. By educating ourselves around vaccination it allows us to encourage our family members, loved ones and communities to get the vaccine," said Hussain, winner of the Great British Bake Off in 2015, in a video message.

According to a statement, health officials are working to tackle the issue of vaccine hesitancy within ethnic communities by working with social media firms and government to tackle misinformation at the source and stop it spreading.

Dr Saliha Mahmood Ahmed, who works for the NHS and won MasterChef in 2017, said: “It is imperative we talk the language of these communities. As an NHS doctor but also as a woman and mother from this community, I hope to use this platform to spread a positive message around vaccination as far as possible.”

To boost vaccine uptake, health officials engage with community and faith leaders to gain their endorsement of the vaccine, and set up vaccination sites at places of worship for ease of access. Besides, all information on the vaccine have been translated into 20 different languages.

Asma Khan, chef of Darjeeling Express, said: “Food is at the heart of our communities and our families and the quicker we get vaccinated the quicker we will be able to enjoy meals together with our loved ones.”

British-Bangladeshi Dr Na’eem Ahmed, NHS consultant and lead for the NHS’s staff Covid-19 vaccination drive, said: “As the son of a restaurateur, I know first-hand of their positive influence; restaurants mean much more than just providing a meal to be enjoyed. They provide jobs and support local good causes. Getting vaccinated will protect yourself and loved ones. It also means we can share a table again – this is what our community looks forward to.”

Pasha Khandaker, MBE of the Bangladeshi Caterers Association said “Bangladeshi restaurants and restaurant owners are at the heart of communities. We represent 12,000 restaurants and contribute £5 billion to the British Economy. The sooner we all get vaccinated, we can get back to things that we love. I have been vaccinated and urge all members of the British-Bangladeshi community to do so too!”

The NHS vaccination programme, the biggest in health service history, has jabbed more than 20 million people across the UK in a matter of weeks including more than 17 million in England alone.