3. Statement by the Minister for Health and Social Services: Update on COVID-19 Vaccinations

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 3:43 pm on 2 February 2021.

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Photo of Vaughan Gething Vaughan Gething Labour 3:43, 2 February 2021

Thank you. In terms of this, I refer back to what I said earlier about it was a good thing we had parliamentarians—none of whom were Welsh MPs, but parliamentarians from the Conservative Party and UK Labour, who are absolutely not on the same page on the great majority of issues—all agreeing to do a promotional message that encourages people to take up the vaccine. People recounting their own personal, family and friendship group experiences, hearing James Cleverly and David Lammy talk about people that they both know—from very different parts of politics, but they both have people they know and love and care for who they have lost through COVID. And I think that's a powerful message to then hear those same people encouraging everyone to take up the vaccine.

And we are already doing specific work with community groups here in Wales, and vaccine sceptism is not something that I think we should take a view that that doesn't exist here in Wales. It's about how we try to address it and how effectively we do so. I'll be doing some work specifically with that in talking to community leaders to build on work that's already been done. And we are already talking with the Muslim community here in Wales about whether we can use mosques, but also, though, I'm really encouraged by the message of faith leaders encouraging people to take up the vaccine as well. There is nothing incompatible with their religion in taking up the vaccine and there's also—[Inaudible.]—not just through mosques, but also through churches as well, in terms of a range of our communities. For many of them, faith is more central than, if you like, other parts of life here in Wales. So, we need to think about the different ways in which to have messages that are effective for people, have meaning for them and actually build on trust.

So, I'll be happy to give a further update after half term, because I'll have done more on that direct engagement to give you a feeling back about what we're able to do to encourage people to get themselves protected, because black and Asian-origin communities are at a higher risk than the rest of the country, because of their ethnic origin, from coronavirus.