COVID-19 vaccine: ‘Deprived populations should not be used as guinea pigs’

A new report from Independent Sage has found that deprived neighbourhoods in England have a COVID-19 mortality rate more than twice that of the most affluent

PICTURED: Pedestrians in Oxford Street, London (Photo: Hollie Adams/AFP via Getty Images)

MEMBERS OF Independent Sage have said there is no evidence the government has acted to address recommendations from reports highlighting health inequalities in relation to COVID-19 and urged for caution over the rollout of a vaccine among people living in deprived areas.

The group of scientists who work together to provide independent scientific advice to the UK government and public on how to minimise deaths and support Britain’s recovery from the COVID-19 crisis, released its latest report on Friday 13 November.

The report, COVID-19 and health inequality, found that the most deprived neighbourhoods in England have a COVID-19 mortality rate more than twice that of the most affluent. It also showed that people in the lowest paid occupations are twice as likely as professionals and business leaders to die from COVID-19. 

“There’s absolutely no evidence that the government have done anything at all to address the recommendations”

Independent Sage member Zubaida Haque

Overcrowded housing, an increased risk of exposure in the workplace and on public transport, inadequate sickness benefits and financial support to self-isolate, a lack of access to health and social care services and a higher incidence of pre-existing health conditions are all contributing to higher rates of illness and death in the poorest communities, Independent Sage’s report concluded.

In England, 45 per cent of patients admitted to hospital with COVID-19 were from the most deprived 20 per cent of the population and over 50 per cent of those admitted to critical care were from the 40 per cent most deprived areas. 

Vaccine

During a media briefing held when the research was released, questions were raised over the rollout of a vaccine, and if ethnic minority communities and those in deprived areas should be prioritised.

Professor Allyson Pollock of Newcastle University, who co-authored the report with Professor Clare Bambra, also of Newcastle University, said there was “no evidence” that the vaccine works and “that it will be effective in the subgroups they want to target. Deprived populations should not be used as guinea pigs.”

Pollock added that people were “getting ahead of themselves” talking about implementation and rollout of a vaccine.

Recommendations

The report’s 20 key recommendations include: adequate financial support for those self-isolating, support for self-isolation outside of overcrowded homes for those testing positive (e.g. providing hotel rooms free of charge), an expansion of free school meals for all school age children, doubling of the Pupil Premium rates for schools in deprived areas and an increase of at least £20 per week to the child element of Universal Credit – as well as an end to the benefits cap and two child limit.

The pandemic presents an important moment for renewing our efforts to reduce health inequalities that have existed for decades, Pollock said.

While the COVID-19 outbreak has prompted various reviews and recommendations in relation to health and racial inequalities, the government has been criticised for its lack of action.

Responding to a question posed by The Voice, Independent Sage member and former director Runnymede Trust, Zubaida Haque, said: ‘To this day there’s absolutely no evidence that the government have done anything at all to address the recommendations from the inequalities, the disparities reports.

“I think the most that’s been addressed is some of the PPE issues for NHS workers. The government are very focused on NHS workers but there are key workers outside of NHS workers and there’s been nothing done. I think we should have probably taken the signal when the government appointed the equalities minister to oversee the issue of ethnic disparities in COVID-19 rather than a health minister and that in itself I think should have sent alarm bells for us.”

“A big task is to come out of this with whatever review happens to ensure that we have a public health system set up that can help address inequalities at a national level and also importantly at a local level,” Professor Gabriel Scally, president of epidemiology and public health section, Royal Society of Medicine said.

As shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth was present at the briefing, Bambra called on the Labour Party to have a debate on COVID-19 and health inequalities in parliament to try and put pressure on the government and hold them to account for failing to act on recommendations from Independent Sage and Public Health England.

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