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Upcoming event aims to open up conversations around vaccine hesitancy

The Sheffield African Caribbean Mental Health Association (SACMHA) is hosting a new event looking at Covid-19 vaccine cautiousness within the African and Caribbean communities.

Vaccine covid 19
Mufid Majnun (Unsplash)

Over the past few months, and over the course of the pandemic, the Sheffield African Caribbean Mental Health Association (SACMHA) has been working to deliver accessible and engaging healthcare resources to African and Caribbean communities in the city.

One area of healthcare, especially around Covid-19, they’ve focused on is vaccine hesitancy or cautiousness. SACMHA have already produced a number of resources, including up-to-date locations of vaccination sites, in order to remove as many barriers as possible to people accessing and receiving the Covid-19 vaccine.

As well as these resources, they’ve also hosted a range of online events for their communities so that people can come along and ask any questions to medical professionals.

One event was the ‘What’s Faith Got to Do with It?’ event hosted in July. It focused on faith communities, with the aim of supporting people to get the information they need to make informed decisions about their own health.

SACMHA is now delivering a new online event in October, ‘Why Wait?’, that will focus entirely on vaccine cautiousness within African and Caribbean communities. The event will be made up of a panel of experts from within these communities from across both the UK and the US.

Hosted by Dr Delroy Hall, professional counsellor and trainer, the panel will include expertise from:

  • Marion Johnson - Mental Health Expert, University of Birmingham
  • Rev Lesmond Fearon - Church Minister and Professional Market Trader
  • Dr Ludmilla Scott - Public Health Expert, Morgan State University
  • Dr Michell Chresfield - Expert in African American History, University of Birmingham

The event will be a space to discuss questions and concerns without judgement. David Bussue, the Service Director at SACMHA, said “All opinions are important in our communities regarding the Covid-19 vaccine, and we will do our best to help those opinions be heard and respected”.

You can register for the event, scheduled for Thursday 14 October at 6pm, via the charity's website.

SACMHA wants to encourage people to submit questions ahead of the event by emailing admin@sacmha.org.uk. There will be the opportunity to ask questions on the day.

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