5 January 2022
Vara questions PM about impact of omicron on BAME community

Recognising that at the start of the pandemic there was evidence that the BAME community was more vulnerable to the virus than other communities, Shailesh Vara asks the Prime Minister if any analysis had been carried out to determine whether or not Omicron behaves in the same way.

Shailesh Vara (North West Cambridgeshire) (Con)

At the start of the pandemic, there was evidence that members of the black, Asian and minority ethnic community were more vulnerable to the covid virus. Has any analysis been carried out to determine whether omicron acts in a similar way? The Prime Minister will appreciate that that is of particular relevance given the significant number of people from the BAME community who work in the health and care sector.

The Prime Minister (Boris Johnson)

My hon. Friend asks an extremely important question. I think the answer is that there is currently no evidence, but there is certainly evidence that the different levels of vaccine take-up, and booster take-up in particular, are affecting outcomes.

Hansard