Revealed: Fewer than one in four has had third vaccination
Health experts are urging south Asians to get their booster jab after Eastern Eye revealed that fewer than one in four has taken a third vaccine.
Analysis by this newspaper suggests that as of 5 December, only 22.6 per cent of Indians, Pakistanis, Bangladeshis and so called ‘Asian other’ in England have been fully vaccinated.
The British Medical Association (BMA) said it was deeply worried “that a lower proportion of south Asian people have taken up the offer of the booster vaccine”.
Its chair, Dr Chaand Nagpaul said, “Evidence shows that Asian people are susceptible to serious illness from Covid and are admitted to intensive care units in greater numbers and have suffered disproportionately higher rates of mortality.
When compared with 2011 Census figures, which are 10 years out of date, our analysis suggests that only 11 per cent of Pakistanis and 13 per cent of Bangladeshis have had a booster jab.
Indians and Asian other are slightly better with 29 and 24 per cent respectively having taken up the offer of being fully protected from Covid and its variants.
Lack of trust
Tan Dhesi, MP for Slough and shadow rail minister told Eastern Eye that he was concerned by our revelations.
“The government is failing to get the message across.
“It’s losing public trust, because of endless revelations about Boris Johnson and the Conservatives’ rule breaking, including having Christmas parties last year when we were all told to be in lockdown and couldn’t even see our dying or sick loved ones.”
Labour MP, Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi.
A lack of trust is echoed by the BMA chair.
“I don’t think it’s helpful to say that ethnic minorities are hesitant to receive the vaccine," said Dr Nagpaul.
“The real issue is lack of trust in government messaging throughout the pandemic, in which many ethnic minorities have not felt valued and sometimes ignored in government policies.
“We must also recognise that some ethnic minority groups may be less likely to trust healthcare advice based on a previous negative experience in the NHS.
“Additionally, public health messaging has been woefully inconsistent over recent months, with the government actively encouraging social mixing and returning to normal after ‘Freedom Day’, whilst the virus was in reality rapidly spreading throughout the population.
“This has undermined the public’s understanding of the importance to be vaccinated.”
Nagpaul said that social media was also creating problems.
“As a society we have to tackle the influence of misleading social media messaging regarding vaccines and their efficacy which can also play a dangerous role.
“This can be a particular issue in Asian communities receiving inaccurate information from global sources.
Social media has fuelled a rise in Covid misinformation.
“The priority now has to be clear and consistent messaging from trusted sources to ethnic minority groups about the vital importance of the booster.
“This government should actively engage local ethnic minority leaders, including dispelling any myths and concerns about the vaccine.
“Failure to do so could hamper efforts to tackle the health inequalities highlighted so starkly during the pandemic in the long-term. Lives are therefore depending on it.”
‘Get jabbed’
The director of the NHS Race and Health Observatory, Dr Habib Naqvi urged south Asians to get jabbed.
“Ethnic minority communities are disproportionately impacted by the virus and data shows those from our diverse communities, particularly Pakistani and Bangladeshi, need to come forward and get vaccinated.
“It’s not too late to book first, second or third doses now to protect yourself and your loved ones during the festive period and into the New Year.
“Over the coming weeks, as we spend more time indoors, getting together with friends and family, often in less ventilated spaces, we’ll be creating the exact conditions for the virus to spread and thrive.
“A booster vaccine offers significant levels of protection and given the effectiveness of vaccines, now is the time to get vaccinated, reduce the risk of avoidable hospitalisation, severe infection and potentially death.”
On Monday (13) the health secretary, Sajid Javid, updated MPs about the latest variant.
He told parliament that no variant of COVID-19 had spread as fast as Omicron, and that there were almost 5,000 confirmed cases in the UK with 10 needing hospital admission.
Javid warned that because “hospitalisations and deaths lag infections by around two weeks” he expected numbers to rise dramatically.
Britain's health secretary Sajid Javid (Photo by Tom Nicholson-WPA Pool/Getty Images)
“This is our national mission. The most recent data shows boosters are the essential defence against Omicron and we are doing everything in our power to get jabs into arms as quickly as possible.
“We are now expanding the offer to all adults in England, so please come forward as quickly as possible to get boosted and help our country get ahead in this race with the variant.”
Fake news
One of the biggest problems is that some south Asian communities fear adverse health effects, such as affecting pregnancies, for not taking the vaccine.
But one doctor in east London warned south Asians about the need to have all three injections.
“We know that sadly people of BAME [Black Asian Minority Ethnic] background are much more likely to get seriously ill from covid infections,” said Dr Farzana Hussain, a family doctor from Plaistow and part-time clinical director in Newham.
“The vaccine has now been given to millions of people over the world and is safe and has saved 127,000 lives in the UK.”
The Covid vaccine is safe for pregnant women.
The mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, told this newspaper that he continued to support partnerships to tackle misinformation.
He said he was trying to reassure Londoners that the vaccines were safe and effective.
A spokesperson for Khan said, “Cases of Omicron are rising sharply in London and with so much at stake, we need Londoners from all ages and backgrounds to come forward now and be part of the biggest booster roll out in the country.
“Covid vaccines are safe, they have been thoroughly tested, are approved by the leaders of all major faiths, they work, and they will save lives.”
Additional reporting by Rithika Siddhartha
New three-year study into long Covid
An independent body has launched a three-year research study to investigate the long-term impact of Covid on south Asian and black health care workers.
The University of Leicester’s UK-REACH team will lead the work, which is being funded by the NHS Race and Health Observatory.
Other partners include the University of Nottingham and University College London (UCL).
UK-REACH has already collected data from more than 18,000 healthcare workers from a range of ethnicities, of which about a quarter had contracted Covid.
In an exclusive interview Dr Manish Pareek, associate clinical professor of infectious diseases and chief investigator from the University of Leicester, told Eastern Eye, “We wrote the first papers back in April of last year about the disproportionate risks and wrote the first big paper trying to really quantify that risk in terms of infection, hospitalisation and intensive care admission.
“It's from that that all these other studies have started to be funded, including ours.
“Within the UK reach, what we hope to do is understand a whole aspect. There's a huge number of measures that we've collected.
“We've already put information out on vaccine hesitancy by ethnic minority groups within healthcare workers.
“We've found that certain ethnic minority group reported they had less access to PPE [personal protective equipment], which maybe partly contributing to the increased risk of infection.”
The team will analyse data collected between December 2020 and July 2021 from ethnic minority healthcare workers.
Investigation
The study will examine the level of support, availability, and effectiveness of various treatments for managing the impact of acute and long-COVID.
One key area will be to examine the experiences and perceptions of healthcare workers, and what lessons could be learnt to help them recover sooner.
“In the next few days, we'll start to put out information on risk of infection amongst healthcare workers, and whether there's a disproportionate risk,” said Pareek.
“Within the next week, we'll have information on mental health in south Asian and black healthcare workers as well.
“Going forward, we expect to look at a whole range of aspects quality of life and physical health.”
The research will look at if there is a disproportionate risk amongst health workers (Photo by Dan Charity - Pool/Getty Images)
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) estimates that about 1.2 million people in the UK are suffering from long-Covid.
“We know, certainly within the general population, that Covid has had a significant impact, both in terms of anxiety and depression.
“We also know from much smaller studies that there are definitely risks of post-traumatic stress disorder for healthcare workers.
“Suffice it to say that we are seeing sizable proportions of our group of healthcare worker cohorts who do have anxiety and depression.
“We're just trying to understand why that is.
“Post-traumatic stress disorder is understandable when you're working under such significant pressures.”
UK-REACH will also investigate those who have not had the virus and ask questions about their mental health and quality of life.
Pareek said there were lots of unanswered questions.
“What's happened to their work?” he asked. “Have they left the health system? Have they reduced their hours of work?
“Have they, for example, had problems at home and in their home lives? Has it impacted on them economically?
“We will be able to address all of those questions in some detail.
“We expect some of those initial outputs to happen over the coming months because we understand we're in a pandemic, and it's an urgent situation.
“If there are things that need to be put in place, to protect our colleagues and staff, then we need to put those in sooner rather than later.”
Donald Trump walks out of the Oval Office before boarding Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House on June 20, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images)
PAKISTAN government has announced that it will formally nominate US president Donald Trump for the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize, citing his “decisive diplomatic intervention” during the recent military tensions between India and Pakistan.
The announcement was made on Saturday (21) on X, just days after president Trump hosted Pakistan Army Chief general Asim Munir at the White House.
The statement praised Trump’s role in defusing the situation that followed the deadly terror attack in Pahalgam, India, on April 22. In response, India carried out targeted strikes on terrorist infrastructure across the border on May 7. This was followed by several days of retaliatory military action from both sides.
The hostilities ended on May 10 after the Directors General of Military Operations (DGMOs) of India and Pakistan held direct talks. While India maintains that the ceasefire was the result of these direct communications, Pakistan credits Trump’s diplomatic involvement for halting the escalation.
“President Donald J Trump demonstrated great strategic foresight and stellar statesmanship,” the Pakistan government said, claiming that his engagement with both Islamabad and New Delhi helped “secure a ceasefire and avert a broader conflict between two nuclear states.”
Pakistan also praised Trump’s “sincere offers” to help resolve the Kashmir issue and called his actions a continuation of his “legacy of pragmatic diplomacy and effective peace-building.”
In response, President Trump posted on his social media platform, Truth Social, expressing frustration over not receiving recognition for his peace efforts. “I won’t get a Nobel Peace Prize no matter what I do,” he said, listing his involvement in conflicts across India-Pakistan, Russia-Ukraine, Serbia-Kosovo, and the Middle East.
He added that he recently brokered a peace agreement between Congo and Rwanda and described it as a “great day for Africa and the world.” Despite his achievements, Trump lamented, “No, I won’t get a Nobel Peace Prize… but the people know, and that’s all that matters to me.”
Trump has repeatedly claimed that his administration helped stop a war between India and Pakistan. On May 10, he said that both countries had agreed to a “full and immediate” ceasefire after Washington’s intervention and suggested that the promise of future trade encouraged the nations to halt the conflict.
However, Indian officials strongly deny this claim. Foreign secretary Vikram Misri stated from Canada during the G7 Summit that there had been “no discussion, at any level, on a trade deal with the US or any American mediation.”
Misri confirmed that the decision to end military actions came through direct military channels and was initiated by Pakistan. Prime minister Modi has clearly stated that India does not and will never accept foreign mediation,” he said.
Meanwhile, former US National Security Advisor John Bolton weighed in on the controversy, suggesting Trump’s desire for the Nobel stems from the fact that former president Barack Obama received it in 2009.
“He won’t get it for solving the Russia-Ukraine war. He’s now unsuccessfully trying to claim credit for the India-Pakistan ceasefire,” Bolton posted on X.
During his meeting with General Munir, Trump publicly thanked him for not escalating the conflict and hinted at ongoing efforts to secure trade agreements with both India and Pakistan.
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Yoga Day celebrations in the UK (Photo: X/@HCI_London)
HUNDREDS of people gathered in central London on Friday (20) evening to mark the 10th International Day of Yoga, with King Charles III sending a special message of support for the ancient practice that continues to grow in popularity across Britain.
The celebration took place at an iconic square on the Strand, organised by the Indian High Commission in partnership with King's College London. High commissioner Vikram Doraiswami opened the proceedings by reading out the King's personal message from Buckingham Palace.
The 76-year-old monarch, who is known for his interest in yoga, praised the practice for promoting "global principles of unity, compassion and wellbeing".
He highlighted this year's theme, 'Yoga for One Earth, One Health', saying it reminds us "how vitally important it is that the world comes together to secure a happy and healthy future for present and future generations".
"Yoga is increasing in popularity across the UK year on year, with millions of people in our country reaping its benefits," the King's message read. "Yoga is a powerful means of enabling anyone to improve their physical and mental health and fosters a sense of wellbeing and togetherness within communities."
The London event featured expert-led sessions including traditional sun salutations and breathing techniques, with guidance from organisations including Heartfulness UK, Art of Living, and the Isha Foundation. The evening began with a musical performance by Bhavan UK and concluded with 'Samagam', a harmonious blend of yoga and dance.
Doraiswami reflected on the journey since 2014, when prime minister Narendra Modi first proposed the idea to the United Nations.
The initiative received support from 175 member states, making June 21 the official International Day of Yoga.
"Yoga speaks to a universal language, the idea of the commonality of the human experience," Doraiswami explained. "We all, no matter where we come from, how we look, how we pray, what we speak, our bodies need the same forms of healing."
Graham Lord, senior vice-president for Health and Life Sciences at King's College London, welcomed the partnership with the high commission.
"King's College London shares the values of community, wellness, inner calm and everything that yoga represents," he said, noting that this collaboration reflects the strengthening relationship between Britain and India.
The London celebration was part of worldwide commemorations that saw thousands of yoga enthusiasts roll out their mats across the globe.
India's prime minister Narendra Modi led the celebrations on Saturday (21) at Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh. The event, which spanned a 26-kilometre stretch from Ramakrishna Beach to Bhogapuram, saw participation from thousands of yoga enthusiasts.
Prime minister Narendra Modi takes part in a yoga session during International Day of Yoga celebrations, in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. (PMO via PTI Photo)
In his address, Modi said that yoga offers a path to peace amid rising global stress, unrest and instability. He urged the world to embrace yoga as a tool to move “from conflict to cooperation” and described it as “the pause button humanity needs — to breathe, to balance, to become whole again.”
This year’s theme, “Yoga for One Earth, One Health”, highlights the link between individual wellbeing and planetary health. Modi said the theme reflects the collective responsibility to ensure a healthy future for present and future generations.
He also noted India’s efforts to promote the science of yoga through modern research, with several leading medical institutions conducting studies on its benefits.
“Yoga is for everyone, beyond boundaries, backgrounds, age or ability,” he said, calling for a new phase of global engagement with yoga: “Yoga for humanity 2.0”. He also urged people to make yoga a part of their daily lives, saying it could be truly transformative.
Sharing photos from the event on social media, Modi wrote, “Yoga unites the world,” and expressed happiness at the widespread enthusiasm for yoga across the globe.
At the United Nations headquarters in New York, wellness guru Deepak Chopra led a special meditation session for over 1,200 participants, including diplomats, UN officials, and members of the diplomatic community.
In Times Square, described as "the crossroads of the world", approximately 10,000 people from various nationalities participated in seven yoga sessions throughout the day. Bollywood actor Anupam Kher attended the iconic New York celebration.
India's Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador P Harish, stressed the relevance of this year's theme during challenging times. "At a time when stress, lifestyle diseases and mental health challenges are on the rise, yoga offers a steady, time-tested path that helps one find calm within ourselves," he said.
The Indian Embassy in Beijing having to stop registrations after more than 1,500 people signed up for their event. Thousands participated in multiple yoga sessions across Chinese cities, including Shanghai and Guangzhou, where 300 people gathered on the banks of the Pearl River.
In Singapore, 300 participants celebrated at Supertree Lawn in the central business district. Minister of state Dinesh Vasu Dash told attendees: "In an increasingly divided world, we need more yoga to bring all of us together."
Thailand marked a particularly special milestone, having organised more than 30 yoga events across the country over the past 100 days leading up to the main celebration. Over 4,000 people performed the yoga protocol in unison at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok.
Other notable celebrations took place in Japan at the historic Tsukiji Hongwanji Temple, attended by the spouses of the prime minister and foreign minister, and at UNESCO World Heritage sites in Nepal, including Lumbini, the birthplace of Buddha.
From the banks of Nepal's scenic Phewa Lake to Australia's old Parliament House in Canberra, millions joined in celebrating yoga's message of physical and mental wellbeing.
(Agencies)
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Supporters of the assisted dying law for terminally ill people hold a banner, on the day British lawmakers are preparing to vote on the bill, in London, Britain, June 20, 2025. REUTERS/Isabel Infantes
PARLIAMENT voted on Friday (20) in favour of a bill to legalise assisted dying, paving the way for the country's biggest social change in a generation.
314 lawmakers voted in favour with 291 against the bill, clearing its biggest parliamentary hurdle.
The "Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life)" law would give mentally competent, terminally ill adults in England and Wales with six months or less left to live the right to choose to end their lives with medical help.
The vote puts Britain on course to follow Australia, Canada and other countries, as well as some US states, in permitting assisted dying.
Supporters say it will provide dignity and compassion to people suffering, but opponents worry that vulnerable people could be coerced into ending their lives.
The bill now proceeds to the upper chamber, the House of Lords, where it will undergo months of scrutiny. While there could be further amendments, the unelected Lords will be reluctant to block legislation that has been passed by elected members of the House of Commons.
Prime minister Keir Starmer's Labour government was neutral on the legislation, meaning politicians voted according to their conscience rather than along party lines. Starmer had previously said he was in favour of allowing assisted dying.
FILE PHOTO: Kim Leadbeater reacts during an interview about the Assisted Dying Bill in Westminster, London, Britain, October 15, 2024. REUTERS/Jaimi Joy
Opinion polls show that a majority of Britons back assisted dying. Friday's vote followed hours of emotional debate and references to personal stories in the chamber and followed a vote in November that approved the legislation in principle.
The vote took place 10 years after parliament last voted against allowing assisted dying.
Opponents of the bill had argued that ill people may feel they should end their lives for fear of being a burden to their families and society, and some lawmakers withdrew their support after the initial vote last year, saying safeguards had been weakened.
The 314 to 291 vote for the bill compared to the last November's result, which was 330 to 275 in favour.
In the original plan, an assisted death would have required court approval. That has been replaced by a requirement for a judgement by a panel including a social worker, a senior legal figure and a psychiatrist, which is seen by some as a watering down.
The Labour lawmaker who proposed the bill, Kim Leadbeater, said that the legislation still offered some of the most robust protections in the world against the coercion of vulnerable people.
Hundreds of campaigners both in favour and against the legislation gathered outside parliament on Friday to watch the vote on their mobile phones.
Those in favour chanted “my decision, my choice”, holding up posters that said “my life, my death” and photos of relatives who they said had died in pain.
Those against the legislation held up placards that said “let’s care not kill” and “kill the bill not the ill”.
(Reuters)
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An Air India Airbus A320-200 aircraft takes off from the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad, India, July 7, 2017. Picture taken July 7, 2017.
INDIA’s aviation regulator has warned Air India for violating safety rules after three of its Airbus aircraft operated flights without undergoing mandatory checks on emergency escape slides, according to official documents reviewed by Reuters.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) issued warning notices and a detailed investigation report highlighting the breach. These documents were sent days before the recent crash of an Air India Boeing 787-8, in which all but one of the 242 people onboard were killed. The Airbus incidents are unrelated to that crash.
According to the DGCA report, spot checks carried out in May found that three Air India Airbus aircraft were flown even though scheduled inspections on the escape slides – considered “critical emergency equipment” – were overdue.
One Airbus A320 was flown for more than a month before the check was completed on 15 May. AirNav Radar data showed that the aircraft operated international flights during that period, including to Dubai, Riyadh and Jeddah.
In another case, an Airbus A319 used on domestic routes had slide checks overdue by over three months. A third case involved a plane where the inspection was two days late.
“The above cases indicate that aircraft were operated with expired or unverified emergency equipment, which is a violation of standard airworthiness and safety requirements,” the DGCA report stated.
The report also said Air India failed to respond on time to DGCA’s queries on the issue, which “further evidenc[ed] weak procedural control and oversight.”
Air India, which was acquired by the Tata Group from the government in 2022, said in a statement that it was “accelerating” verification of all maintenance records, including escape slide checks, and expected to finish the process soon.
In one case, Air India said the issue came to light after an AI Engineering Services engineer “inadvertently deployed an escape slide during maintenance.”
The DGCA and Airbus did not respond to requests for comment from Reuters.
Vibhuti Singh, a former legal expert at India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau, said checks on escape slides are “a very serious issue. In case of accident, if they don’t open, it can lead to serious injuries.”
The DGCA report said aircraft that miss mandatory inspections have their airworthiness certificates “deemed suspended.”
The warning notices and report were issued by Animesh Garg, deputy director of airworthiness, and were addressed to Air India CEO Campbell Wilson, as well as the airline’s continuing airworthiness manager, quality manager and head of planning.
An Indian aviation lawyer told Reuters such breaches often lead to monetary and civil penalties for both the airline and individual executives.
Wilson said in a 2023 interview with Reuters that global parts shortages were affecting most airlines, but the problem was “more acute” for Air India, whose “product is obviously a lot more dated,” with many aircraft not updated since 2010-2011.
‘Systemic control failure’
The DGCA report said some Air India aircraft inspected by officials also had outdated registration paperwork. Air India told Reuters that all but one of its aircraft met the required standards and said this “poses no impact” to safety.
The report criticised the airline’s internal oversight systems, stating: “Despite prior notifications and identified deficiencies, the organisation’s internal quality and planning departments failed to implement effective corrective action, indicating systemic control failure.”
India’s junior aviation minister told parliament in February that airlines were fined or warned in 23 cases over safety violations last year. Of these, 12 involved Air India and Air India Express. One case involved “unauthorised entry into cockpit”, and the biggest fine – $127,000 – was imposed on Air India for “insufficient oxygen on board” during a San Francisco-bound flight.
Air India’s Chairman N Chandrasekaran addressed employees on Monday, calling on staff to remain focused amid criticism following last week’s crash and said the incident should serve as a catalyst to build a safer airline.
(With inputs from Reuters)
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Pro and anti-assisted dying campaigners protest ahead of a parliamentary decision later today, on June 20, 2025 in London.
UK MPs are set to hold a key vote on assisted dying on Friday, which could either advance or halt a proposed law that would allow terminally ill adults to end their lives under strict conditions.
The vote follows several hours of debate in the House of Commons and will decide whether the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill moves to the House of Lords for further scrutiny or is dropped altogether.
As MPs gather for the third reading — their final opportunity to debate the bill’s content — demonstrators from both sides of the issue are expected outside parliament.
“This is about real people facing the prospect of a painful and undignified death either for themselves or a loved one,” said MP Kim Leadbeater, who is leading the bill. “The injustice and inhumanity of the status quo means we cannot wait any longer to offer them the hope of a better death.”
The legislation would apply to adults in England and Wales with an incurable illness and fewer than six months to live.
It would require patients to administer the life-ending medication themselves, with approval needed from two doctors and a panel of experts.
If passed, the law would bring England and Wales in line with other countries that permit some form of assisted dying.
Concerns and changes
Supporters of the bill say it would offer more protection and choice to people nearing the end of life. Opponents argue it could put pressure on vulnerable individuals.
The Royal College of Psychiatrists has raised concerns, stating last month that it had “serious concerns” about safeguarding people with mental illness, and said it could not support the bill in its current form.
MPs initially backed the bill by 330 votes to 275 in November. Since then, changes have been made, including a ban on advertising assisted dying and provisions allowing health workers to opt out of taking part.
The current vote comes as several MPs have shifted their stance, and political parties are allowing a free vote. The outcome remains uncertain.
Vote tally and next steps
An ITV News tally of about half of all MPs suggests 153 support the change, 141 are opposed, 21 remain undecided and another 21 are expected to abstain.
Both the House of Commons and the House of Lords must pass the bill before the end of the current parliamentary year, likely in the autumn, for it to become law.
If approved and granted royal assent, assisted dying services would not begin for at least four years.
Legal and regional developments
The government’s impact assessment, published this month, estimates that 160 to 640 assisted deaths could occur in the first year of implementation, rising to about 4,500 by the tenth year.
Prime minister Keir Starmer is expected to support the bill, but some cabinet members, including the health and justice secretaries, have spoken against it.
Assisted suicide is currently punishable by up to 14 years in prison in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Separate legislation is being considered in Scotland, and the Isle of Man passed an assisted dying bill in March, becoming the first British territory to do so.