Mr Jenrick met with the imam at Al-Abbas Islamic Centre in Balsall Heath, Birmingham. He also met the pharmacists and staff who run the vaccination centre and people who received their first dose yesterday. The mosque is one of dozens of new sites offering coronavirus vaccinations, with others opening this week at Stoneleigh Park, in Warwickshire, Salisbury City Hall and Bath Racecourse.
Mr Jenrick said: “It is absolutely brilliant to see faith communities like this stepping up and playing their part in the vaccine programme.
“We have to build trust, ensure that we counter misinformation and ensure that everyone, regardless of their faith, regardless of what community they’re from, gets access to the programme.”
Imam Qari Asim, chairman of the Mosques and Imams National Advisory Board, said some people who were hesitant about getting a vaccine have decided to get one since the site opened.
He said: “As an imam, my message is simple: do not trust ‘fake news’, verify before you amplify.”
