Trust, Vaccination and the Romanian Community in the UK

On 24 November 2025, I spoke at the first Romanian Health Multi-Stakeholder Roundtable at the Romanian Consulate General in London. Participants came from NHS teams at every level, public health, local government and community organisations, alongside academics, policymakers and Consulate representatives.

We looked at the difficulties Romanian people can face when navigating the NHS and the health inequalities that can follow. Vaccination attitudes formed another part of the discussion. Across these subjects, the same issue kept surfacing: whether information comes from a source people recognise and trust.

My presentation focused on vaccine hesitancy among Romanian populations in the UK. I presented a framework for understanding the influences on health behaviour and considered how attitudes within a diaspora may reflect tendencies shaped in Romania. Moving country does not erase earlier experiences of public institutions, medicine or vaccination. The setting changes, but some habits of interpretation travel with people.

Community-specific studies can capture what broader categories miss. Childhood vaccination also requires sustained awareness work, with communication that remains familiar, clear and present over time.

Adina Maglan showed how difficult it can be to establish even the basic picture. Broad or ambiguous ethnic categories can leave Romanian communities poorly visible in health data, while different sources may conflict. Local Voice presented research with 236 Romanian nationals covering NHS use, vaccination and smoking cessation. It found deep mistrust of state services and pointed towards respectful, culturally relevant engagement that leaves people with a sense of autonomy.

Dr Floriana Ellis addressed the practical task of finding one’s way through NHS services and locating reliable health information. That problem now includes inaccurate medical advice generated by artificial intelligence, adding another layer of difficulty for people deciding which source deserves confidence.

The roundtable began with expert presentations and questions, then moved into a workshop to co-design possible interventions. Participants considered Romanian-speaking health professionals as trusted voices. NHS materials need accurate translation, but they also need to circulate through community settings and social platforms that people already use. Better visibility in official data would help services understand whom they are reaching. Community involvement from the start would make interventions more relevant.

Among the proposals were a recurring health-equity event, a Romanian Health Equity Forum or Partnership and a multi-year health strategy. Participants also proposed advocacy training for community leaders, involving trusted Romanian health professionals in resources and developing a cultural toolkit. These remain proposals rather than completed programmes.

Historical vaccination data can show when vaccine doses entered Romania’s schedule. It cannot show how advice was heard inside a family, why confidence weakened or which messenger might restore it. Those questions require research conducted with the community itself. They also require the patience to earn trust before asking people to act.