A STUDENT at the University of Bradford is encouraging young people across the district to take the Covid-19 vaccine when it is their turn.

Although the vaccine roll-out is well underway, "vaccine hesitancy" remains an issue, according to Dr Javed Bashir, a safeguarding consultant at Bradford-based Strengthening Faith Institutions (SFI).

He argues that some young people - particularly those from ethnic minority backgrounds - are still unsure about taking the vaccine.

In the wake of this, one of the University of Bradford's community champions - who himself had the virus last year, and spent five days in intensive care because of it - is leading the call-out for people to get their jab when they are eligible.

Faiz Ilyas, a civil and structural engineering student at the university, said he "came to terms with his death" and thought he was "going to die" after he was rushed to hospital with Covid-19 in March 2020.

Just over a year later, Faiz's wife is pregnant and he is "making the most of every opportunity", having survived his ordeal. 

"Covid-19 is still a significant threat to our city, and now it is more important than ever that young people take the vaccine, and play their part in containing the spread of the virus", Faiz - who himself has already had the vaccine - said.

"Around one in six young adults say they would reject taking the Covid vaccine if offered", he added.

"When I was in ICU last year, I came to terms with my death. At that time, I thought 'yeah, I am going to die now'.

"It was quite a daunting experience, because it was right at the beginning. When I got poorly, we still hadn’t properly entered a national lockdown.

“I am tip-top now. Three to four weeks after I was released, I felt like I had added 50 years onto my life. I was struggling to even get a shower or do the vacuuming."

Another University of Bradford student, Aneela Ashraf, added: "The Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines were approved in the first phase of the Covid-19 vaccination programme", adding that "they contain no animal products", amid fears expressed by some over what is in the vaccine.

Ajaysuraj Rachuri, another student at Bradford, added: "The Covid-19 vaccine is safe and effective. It is going to protect you against coronavirus, and save thousands of lives", while Ishaal Ahmad, a sabbatical officer at the university, also said "to stop this pandemic, we must use all of our prevention tools, and one of the most effective prevention tools is the Covid vaccine - it will keep us safe from this disease".

Dr Javed Bashir cited national figures, which suggested that some younger people in some communities were still not sure about getting vaccinated.

"Young black people are more hesitant about being vaccinated against Covid-19, and are less likely to trust doctors than the rest of England’s population, according to researchers", he said.

"In a study, it was found that 64 per cent of young black people in England are vaccine-hesitant", Dr Bashir added.

"Covid-19 continues to have a devastating impact on all of our communities, and we are very concerned about false information and the scaremongering surrounding the vaccine. 

"This programme is vital to help share clear and accurate information through respected and influential figures in our community. Community champions will be key to informing people about the both the virus and vaccine, including what it is made of, how it works and how it will help us beat the virus.

"It also gives communities a voice to speak about the things impacting them and how we may better support them.

"We need to play our part in protecting those who are most vulnerable from getting sick by promoting vaccination. 

"Vaccination offers the UK the best exit strategy from the Covid-19 pandemic, and it important that young people play their part in keeping their loved ones safe."