Vaccines boost as proportion of adults who would REFUSE to have a jab more than halves

Britain’s vaccine rollout received a major boost today as a new poll revealed the proportion of adults who would refuse to have a jab has more than halved in three months.

Just 6 per cent of those polled by Ipsos MORI in March said they would probably or definitely avoid taking any of the vaccines available, down from 14 per cent in December.

And amid a huge celebrity-led drive by ministers to improve the take-up among non-white Britons, the figures are even more encouraging.

Just six per cent of ethnic minorities said they would not accept a vaccine in March, down from 22 per cent in January. 

Just six per cent of ethnic minorities said they would not accept a vaccine in March, down from 22 per cent in January.

Kelly Beaver, the managing director of Ipsos MORI, said: ‘It is extraordinarily encouraging to see the steady progress being made with vaccine confidence across the UK.

‘The increase in vaccine confidence among ethnic minority Brits is a particularly welcome sign given the disproportionate impact that Covid has had on ethnic minority communities.’

Four in 10 black elderly people in England have not yet had their coronavirus vaccine, official figures in the first major breakdown of jab rates among ethnic minorities revealed last week.

A report published by the Office for National Statistics revealed just 58.8 per cent of black African Brits over the age of 70 had received at least one dose of either Pfizer or AstraZeneca’s vaccine by March 11.

The ONS said that, nationally, uptake in the over-70s was 90.2 per cent when all ethnic groups were included, with rates highest among white people (91.3 per cent) and Indians (86.2 per cent).

A report published last week by the Office for National Statistics found just 58.89 per cent of black African Brits over the age of 70 had received at least one dose of either Pfizer or AstraZeneca ‘s vaccine by March 11

The report found that Muslims were the religious group least likely to take the vaccine, with only 72.3 per cent of over-70s getting one so far, followed by Buddhists (78.1 per cent)

After black African Brits, the poorest rates were recorded in black Caribbeans (68.7 per cent), Bangladeshis (72.7) and Pakistanis (74 per cent).

The report, which included data from 20million over-70s invited for their jab in England, also found Muslims were the religious group least likely to take the vaccine, with only 72.3 per cent of over-70s getting one so far, followed by Buddhists (78.1 per cent).

 Last week a slew of Brits including Hollywood stars Chiwetel Ejiofor and Thandie Newton, author Malorie Blackman and radio DJ Trevor Nelson signed an open letter by Sir Lenny Henry urging black Britons to get the Covid-19 vaccine.

In the letter Sir Lenny acknowledges the ‘legitimate worries and concerns’ that people feel, adding: ‘We know change needs to happen and that it’s hard to trust some institutions and authorities.’

He continues: ‘But we’re asking you to trust the facts about the vaccine from our own professors, doctors, scientists involved in the vaccine’s development, GPs, not just in the UK but across the world including the Caribbean and Africa.

‘Many of whom are our relatives, many of whom have made the ultimate sacrifice to protect the people of this country from this pandemic.’