Sadiq Khan urges community to get jab as deputy warns Omicron ‘rife’ in Hackney
Mayor made appeal to those 'not vaccinated at all' with a Board representative calling on the communal body to 'take the lead' in reaching out to Charedim over vaccinations
Lee Harpin is the Jewish News's political editor
Sadiq Khan has urged members of the Jewish community who are “not vaccinated at all” against Covid to get jabbed after declaring a “major incident” in London owing to the rapid spread of the Omicron variant.
The Mayor of London made his appeal on the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show after the presenter asked him what more could be done to halt the rise of Omicron, with the capital being the epicentre of the outbreak.
Khan said work was being done with the Black, Jewish, Muslim and with the East European communities in London to try to improve the uptake of the vaccines – including giving people the first two jabs along with the booster injection.
Responding to the Mayor’s comments at the Board of Deputies’ Plenary meeting on Sunday, Denise Lester, the representative for South Hampstead Synagogue, called for the Board to “take the lead in reaching out, particularly to the Charedi community” over the need for vaccines.
Lester, who is a family solicitor, added: “In Hackney, I can say to you from my professional working life, that the Omicron variant is rife.”
In London hospitals are seeing a steep increase in the number of staff off sick due to the rise in those with Covid-19.
The Mayor has called for the Government to implement tougher measures in the days ahead to combat the spread of Omicron.
Last week Minister for Equalities Kemi Badenoch also made an appeal for communities across the UK to have the booster jab in a letter that was signed by Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis.
The Minister wrote: “If you have yet to get your first or second dose, it’s never too late – vaccines reduce hospitalisations and deaths.
“Please come forward and get the vital protection you need. ”
Jewish News understands that that Department of Health have also made approaches to groups within the Stamford Hill Charedi community offering them financial support to encourage more people to have the vaccine.
One issue that has emerged is concern amongst young pregnant females in the community over the impact of the jabs.
With the demographic of some Charedi communities now younger than elsewhere in society, the impact of opposition to the vaccine, particularly amongst pregnant women, become apparent in official data.
Other communal insiders insisted the Charedi community had responded well to calls for uptake of the booster jab in recent days.
While there was a significant infection rate in Hackney, they disputed Lester’s claim that Omicron was “rife.”
There is no scientific evidence that Covid jabs can cause issues during pregnancy.
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.
