London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Jul 02, 2025

‘We don’t want to tell people they are wrong’: the battle to win over Britain’s unvaccinated

‘We don’t want to tell people they are wrong’: the battle to win over Britain’s unvaccinated

Local organisations are playing a crucial role in tackling concerns over the Covid jab

For two months, one of the women attending Anab Hoffmann’s weekly drop-in sessions was very vocal in her opposition to vaccines of all kinds.

“She was one of the loudest,” Hoffmann said. “There’s always one. She was very loud. But we didn’t mind. That was her view. We don’t want to tell people they are wrong. We just want to give them the evidence.”

Hoffmann is the founder of Heal Together, a community interest company that focuses on helping London’s Somali community understand and access mental health support. They run a “Shaah and Sheeko” [tea and chat] group on Thursdays at various places in east London where people can talk about anything they are concerned about. Hoffman and her colleagues show people how to get help.

Since July, they have also been talking about vaccines – one of hundreds of “community champions” who are trying to persuade people to get the jab. People like the vocal anti-vaxxer at the Shaah and Sheeko.

“Week in, week out, she was very reluctant, but we saw her soften her tone.” They showed her videos of Somali doctors talking about vaccines, and information about the different vaccines and what they do.“We’re a small community,” said Hoffmann, who gave up her job in human resources for a major bank to start up Heal Together. “But we have unexplained levels of autism and some people believe the MMR vaccinations are responsible, which is untrue. But it has been a problem.

“Then a few weeks ago, we were doing outreach work outside a mosque and we saw her. She hugged all of us. I was perplexed, to say the least, because she had been so against it. But she said she had got the vaccine, and her sisters too.”

Even though everyone over 18 has been eligible for a free vaccine for at least six months, more than 60,000 adults received their first dose in the week up to 5 December, according to NHS figures.

In the London borough of Newham, where Heal Together is based, more than 220,000 first doses have been given out to over-18s, but there are between 268,000 and 350,000 adults in the area. The local authority has been funding 15 community groups including Heal Together and about 8,000 people have been vaccinated at pop-up clinics, like one Hoffmann ran in Stratford in June.

Jason Strelitz, director of public health in Newham, said there had been an increase in unvaccinated people coming forward since the emergence of the new, more infectious the Omicron variant. “We’ve been working a lot with very small community and voluntary organisations who have deep roots into different communities,” he said. “Breaking down trust barriers is important.”

A woman receives her vaccination at a Heal Together centre.


Around 10% of people in their 40s are yet to have any vaccine against Covid-19, according to NHS figures, which leaves them vulnerable to serious illness if they become infected. More than a quarter of men aged between 18 and 24 are unvaccinated, nearly six months after they were first offered.

Since the government’s strategy of avoiding Covid restrictions relies on a herd immunity approach, these unvaccinated people represent a significant problem. When Boris Johnson announced plan B measures last week, he hinted that mandatory vaccinations might be an option, saying a “national conversation” was needed. Vaccines are already mandatory for care home workers – although a grace period has been extended into next year – and frontline NHS workers will be obliged to be double jabbed by April.

But the prospect of mandatory vaccines was “worrying”, according to Dr Pauline Paterson, co-director of the Vaccine Confidence Project at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM).

“We might need boosters every six months,” she said. “How many doses will be mandatory?” LSHTM researchers conducted a study of 17,000 people in April and discovered that although people who had been vaccinated liked the idea of vaccine passports, those who were already hesitant became more reluctant.

But confidence, or a lack of trust in the vaccines, or authorities, is only one reason why some people are unvaccinated, Paterson said. They may be complacent – particularly young people who believe they are not vulnerable to Covid, or there may be a lack of access.

“Maybe some people tried to log into the system and it wasn’t working. Or they didn’t know their NHS number, or the centre is too far away,” Paterson said. “Usually, by the time you have systems in place to make vaccines mandatory, you don’t need to, because generally the problem is about access.

“There’s an assumption we need to educate people, or tell them off, but actually we need to find out why people haven’t had a vaccine. The key is not to stigmatise and not to assume.”

Access remains a problem for some, including immune-suppressed people who need a third primary dose of the vaccine but say there is no way to book a vaccine appointment. They also face resistance from volunteers who do not always understand that they are eligible for a jab.

Even 15% of over-80s eligible for a booster dose have not yet had it, nearly three months after being invited. Changes to the way vaccines are now delivered may mean it is harder for some to access, according to Ruthe Isden, Age UK’s head of influence.

“In January, people were furloughed so they were more able to drop everything and take relatives to vaccine centres. In older age groups, people do face practical barriers. And for housebound people we do need wraparound support.”

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Political Dispute Escalates Between Trump and Musk
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
US Senate Votes to Remove AI Regulation Moratorium from Domestic Policy Bill
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
Jury Deliberations in Diddy Trial Yield Partial Verdict in Serious Criminal Charges
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
King Charles Plans Significant Role for Prince Harry in Coronation
Two Chinese Nationals Arrested for Espionage Activities Against U.S. Navy
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Extreme Heat Wave Sweeps Across Europe, Hitting Record Temperatures
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
Trump Administration Considers Withdrawal of Funding for Hospitals Providing Gender Treatment to Minors
Texas Enacts Law Allowing Gold and Silver Transactions
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
OpenAI Secures Multimillion-Dollar AI Contracts with Pentagon, India, and Grab
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Germany Votes to Suspend Family Reunification for Asylum Seekers
Elon Musk Critiques Senate Budget Proposal Over Job Losses and Strategic Risks
Los Angeles Riots ended with Federal Investigations into Funding
Budapest Pride Parade Draws 200,000 Participants Amid Government Ban
Southern Europe Experiences Extreme Heat
Xiaomi's YU7 SUV Launch Garners Record Pre-Orders Amid Market Challenges
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's Lavish Wedding in Venice
Russia Launches Largest Air Assault on Ukraine Since Invasion
Education Secretary Announces Overhaul of Complaints System Amid Rising Parental Grievances
Massive Anti-Government Protests Erupt in Belgrade
Trump Ends Trade Talks with Canada Over Digital Services Tax
UK Government Softens Welfare Reform Plans Amid Labour Party Rebellion
Labour Faces Rebellion Over Disability Benefit Reforms Ahead of Key Vote
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Host Lavish Wedding in Venice Amid Protests
Trump Asserts Readiness for Further Strikes on Iran Amid Nuclear Tensions
North Korea to Open New Beach Resort to Boost Tourism Economy
UK Labour Party Faces Internal Tensions Over Welfare Reforms
Andrew Cuomo Hints at Potential November Comeback Amid Democratic Primary Results
Curtis Sliwa Champions His Vision for New York City Amid Rising Crime Concerns
Federal Reserve Proposes Changes to Capital Rule Affecting Major Banks
EU TO HUNGARY: LET THEM PRIDE OR PREP FOR SHADE. ORBÁN TO EU: STAY IN YOUR LANE AND FIX YOUR OWN MESS.
Trump Escalates Criticism of Media Over Iran Strike Coverage
Trump Announces Upcoming US-Iran Meeting Amid Controversial Airstrikes
Trump Moves to Reshape Middle East Following Israel-Iran Conflict
Big Four Accounting Firms Fined in Exam Cheating Scandal
NATO Members Agree to 5% Defense Spending Target by 2035
Australia's Star Casino Secures $195 Million Rescue Package Amid Challenges
UK to Enhance Nuclear Capabilities with Acquisition of F-35A Fighter Jets
Russian Shadow Payments via Cryptocurrency Reach $9 Billion
Explosions Rock Doha as Iranian Missiles Target Qatar
“You Have 12 Hours to Flee”: Israeli Threat Campaign Targets Surviving Iranian Officials
×