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This special bonus episode of The Doctor’s Kitchen podcast, brought to you in partnership with The Mayor of London. And today we’re going to be talking specifically about the Covid-19 vaccines that are being offered to adults.

COVID is still a serious disease. At the time of this recording tens of thousands of cases are still occurring daily which can lead to deaths and potentially long-lasting effects such as Long COVID - a topic we have talked about at length on the podcast with immunologists and researchers in the past.

Getting the vaccine is the best way to immediately protect yourself, your family and friends from COVID-19 and reduce the chances of any new variants which can emerge from uncontrolled spiralling cases. This is key and it is truly a global issue. Without a worldwide vaccine strategy we risk further restrictions, uncontrolled spread and the consequences associated with that.

Despite the many campaigns to educate the public appropriately, ‘hesitancy’ to have the jab still exists, particularly amongst ethnic minorities and the 18-24 year old groups.

Today I speak with Dr Sarah Filson an Infectious Diseases and Microbiology doctor working at West Middlesex University Hospital about vaccine hesitancy, how vaccines are manufactured, assessing risk/benefit profiles, why we are living in an ‘infodemic’ and how to take a compassionate approach to lack of vaccine confidence in communities.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode contains strong language.

As a police officer in his hometown of Flint, Mich., Scott Watson has worked to become a pillar of the community, believing his identity has placed him in a unique position to do his job. He has given out his cellphone number, driven students to prom and provided food and money to those who were hungry.

After watching the video of the killing of George Floyd, his identity as a Black police officer became a source of self-consciousness instead of pride.

Today, we speak to Mr. Watson about his career and the internal conflicts that have arisen from his role.

Guest: Scott Watson, a Black police officer in Flint, Mich.

For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily

Background reading:

• Many Black and Hispanic officers in New York City have found themselves caught between competing loyalties in the wake of the killing of George Floyd.