A PROMINENT city doctor has made an urgent call for Muslims who are concerned having their Covid-19 vaccine will invalidate their fast during Ramadan to avoid vaccine hesitancy.
Professor Wasim Hanif, professor of diabetes and endocrinology, consultant physician and clinical service lead in diabetes at University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust is also a trustee of the South Asian Health Foundation (SAHF).
Working with colleagues from the organisation he has published a paper called ‘Ramadan and Covid-19 vaccine hesitancy—a call for action’, following concerns among the Muslim community that having the vaccine during the holy period is not allowed.
However, the charity is reassuring people that the vaccine is permissible over the course of the religious festival, which starts on April 12 and requires Muslims to abstain from food and drink during daylight hours.
Professor Hanif said: “We’re a vast, multi-cultural society and it’s crucial community leaders and healthcare professionals across the UK understand people’s vaccine-related concerns.
“We need to educate people so they can weigh up any potential side-effects and fasting concerns against the serious risk of illness or even death related to Covid-19, which is particularly prevalent among the South Asian population.”
Professor Kiran Patel, chief medical officer and consultant cardiologist at University Hospitals Coventry & Warwickshire NHS Trust, also a SAHF Trustee, said: “We want Muslim scholars to speak out and advise that the Covid-19 vaccine is permissible during Ramadan and we need the public and healthcare professionals to be made aware of this.”
The SAHF is a charity founded in 1999 to promote good health in the UK’s South Asian communities, becoming one of the UK’s leading British Asian health charities. The organisation has been celebrating its 20th anniversary.
Its mission is to assist people living in the UK, particularly those of South Asian origin, who are experiencing conditions of sickness, hardship or distress by supporting organisations and implementing and establishing developmental projects.
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