COVID-19 vaccination rates are substantially lower among Black people compared to other ethnic groups, according to new research from the Office for National Statistics and the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Applied Research Collaboration (ARC) East Midlands.
The study, published in the BMJ’s Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, used population-level records from the 2011 Census of more than 35 million adults to assess the variation in vaccination uptake by different sociodemographic characteristics.
The researchers found that vaccination rates were highest among people who are white British or Indian, and lowest among Black Africans and Black Caribbeans.
Rates were also lower among the following groups:
- Muslims
- people living in deprived areas
- people with a disability
- people for whom English isn’t their first language
- people living in rented housing
- people from a lower socio-economic group
- people with fewer qualifications
People aged between 18 and 59 were less likely to be vaccinated than people over the age of 60.
The result are of particular significance given the increasingly strong body of evidence that people from ethnic minority backgrounds are at greater risk of dying from COVID-19.
Dr Tom Yates, Professor of Physical Activity, Sedentary Behaviour and Health at the University of Leicester, who was an author on the paper, said:
We found inequalities in COVID-19 vaccination rates by ethnicity, religion, area deprivation, disability status, English language proficiency, socio-economic position, and education attainment and sex, but some of these differences varied by age group.
Senior author, Dr Vahe Nafilyan, Health Statistician at the Office for National Statistics, said:
Since the relationships between sociodemographic characteristics and vaccination coverage may differ by age group, it is important for future research to disaggregate by age group when examining these inequalities.
Professor Andrew Morris, Director of Health Data Research UK, said:
We’re pleased to have supported this research which provides the most comprehensive evidence on inequalities in COVID-19 vaccinations to date. By linking clinical records and Census data for over 35 million adults in England, the team have been able to drill down in greater detail on which groups have so far been underserved by the vaccination programme.
This work is the perfect example of what can be achieved by uniting the UK’s rich but fragmented data assets. Together with the ONS, we’re working to continue to make vital linked datasets like this one available to enable COVID-19 research that improves people’s lives.
Professor Kamlesh Khunti CBE, Professor of Primary Care Diabetes and Vascular Medicine at the University of Leicester and Director of NIHR ARC East Midlands, said:
This study is vital as it provides the first evidence for sociodemographic inequalities in COVID-19 vaccination coverage among the entire adult population in England.
Several studies have reported differences in coverage by characteristics such as ethnicity and religion, however they have mainly focused on older adults and clinically vulnerable people who were initially prioritised for vaccination. We are pleased that this study has now opened up a different avenue for future research.
The research was supported by Health Data Research UK as part of the National Core Studies Data and Connectivity programme, delivered in partnership with the Office for National Statistics, and supported by the NIHR Leicester Biomedical Research Centre.