Covid vaccine push for Charedi community focuses on pregnant women
Health officials in North Hackney engage with strictly-Orthodox leaders to address disinformation and low uptake rates of the coronavirus vaccine
Lee Harpin is the Jewish News's political editor
Public health officials have stepped up efforts to vaccinate the Charedi community in Hackney amid concerns disinformation is preventing large numbers of pregnant women from coming forward.
The government has launched a major national push to improve uptake of the Covid booster jab after data confirmed that the Omicron variant was “rife” throughout London and England generally.
In London this push is being led by the NHS, Mayor of London and Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) working with the boroughs.
Data collected by the Office of National Statistics (ONS) and the NHS has allowed those behind this vaccine push to focus their attention on areas they appear to be getting left behind in terms of uptake.
Hackney is home to one of the largest Charedi communities in Europe – with young couples actively trying to have several children – meaning demographically there is always a higher number of young pregnant women as a percentage of the local population than can be found elsewhere.
But Jewish News understands that the North Hackney region in particular has emerged as one area in which there is one of the lowest uptakes of the both the first two Covid prevention vaccines, and more recently with the booster jab.
Public health officials confirm they have recently seen an improvement in low uptake rates after changing the way they delivered their messaging to the community through leaflets and flyers.
They have also engaged in constructive dialogue with local Charedi communal groups serving the Hackney region, including Hatzola, Interlink and the JCC (Jewish Community Council) -stressing that that the Orthodox Jewish community is not being singled out with blame for low uptakes.
Dr Ellen Schwartz, the public health consultant who leads for vaccine uptake in the Orthodox Jewish community in Hackney, confirmed after discussions took place with Charedi community leaders changes were made to the format of flyers and leaflets that were distributed particularly to pregnant women.
Concerns about the impact of the vaccine on fertility were found to be one of the issues affecting uptake amongst young women and males in the community.
“People from within the community approached us with advice on how to articulate messaging about the vaccines in a way that was acceptable and was being listened to,” said Schwartz.
“We were very concerned about those who had not had the vaccine at all, and we were extremely concerned about pregnant women.”
Since the new leaflets were distributed, there has been a marked increase on recent Sunday’s of community members, including pregnant women, who are turning up at local clinics to be vaccinated.
“Vaccination is the safest way for pregnant women to protect themselves and their babies against severe disease,”DrLeonora Weil, a public health consultant with OHID London told Jewish News.
“Pregnant women who get COVID have a have an increased risk of serious illness with higher rates of intensive care admissions.
“For the baby, there is twice the risk of stillbirth and preterm birth with infection in pregnancy.
“Pregnant women across the world have had the COVID vaccine without raising safety concerns.”
Next month, Mayor of London Sadiq Khan will use his Big Conversation webinar events to specifically reach out to the Orthodox Jewish community to “encourage frank, honest and open dialogue” around the uptake of vaccines.
Sessions have already been held with other communities including the Muslim and Black communities in the capital, with similar concerns amongst officials over the low uptake of vaccines.
The Mayor said:”“It has been heartening to see Londoners of all backgrounds and ages lining up outside our pharmacies, hospitals and pop-up vaccination centres which are working around the clock as part of the biggest booster roll out in the country.
“As cases of the Omicron variant continue to rise I don’t want any Londoner to be left behind in the vaccine rollout – particularly those
communities who have been so badly affected by the pandemic, like the Jewish community who have suffered disproportionately with the loss of both loved ones and livelihoods.
“That’s why I urge all Jewish Londoners to receive their vaccination and get boosted to protect yourself and your loved ones this winter.”
A statement from the JCC said Biala Shul, Belz Hall and Skever Hall, were all being used as vaccination clinics.
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
