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LATEST NEWS UPDATES | Why vaccine hesitancy should not be tackled through a carrot and stick policy -Sarojini Nadimpally

Why vaccine hesitancy should not be tackled through a carrot and stick policy -Sarojini Nadimpally

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published Published on Jun 18, 2021   modified Modified on Jun 19, 2021

-Scroll.in

What is needed is better public health communication.

Along with an acute shortage of Covid-19 vaccines, with only 3.3% of its population fully vaccinated, India is also witnessing vaccine hesitancy. Anecdotal evidence suggests people, particularly in the rural and tribal areas, are not coming forward to take the vaccines. While it is imperative to address vaccine hesitancy, superficial attempts that fail to understand its structural causes could lead to more damage.

As an organisation working on health access in different parts of the country, we have found several rumors and misplaced perceptions are circulating on the ground. In rural Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, many people are hesitant because they have heard about deaths within 15 -20 days of getting the vaccine.

Rani, who works with an NGO in Jharkhand, came across a rumour that Covid-19 vaccines lead to infertility. When she enquired about the source of this information from the person who had shared it with her, he said: “Aisa sunne mein aaya tha. That’s what we’ve heard.” Another frontline worker in Chhattisgarh said people in her area were hesitant to get vaccinated as they believe the vaccines can cause Covid symptoms and complications, even death.

Social media and messaging platforms are also filled with unverified claims and rumours about vaccines. In April, a message titled “A reminder for all women,” went viral. It claimed that adolescent girls need to be cautious about getting vaccinated. “Don’t take the vaccine before and after 5 days of your periods because immunity will be very less during periods,” it said, falsely claiming that there was a “high risk of attack for one who vaccinated during periods”.

What has added to the skepticism in some quarters is the way clinical trials were conducted at warp speed, the questionable basis for emergency authorisation approvals, the uncertainty about possible adverse effects, and the lack of a robust mechanism to address them. Many public health advocates have been repeatedly raising issues about the lack of transparency of information at every stage of vaccine development. Further, the lack of involvement of the community and civil society in vaccine policy has seriously impaired trust, which has probably influenced the negativity of people towards vaccination.

It must be acknowledged that vaccine hesitancy does not arise out of the thin air overnight. These rumours, myths, and perceptions aiding hesitancy prevail in the absence of credible and accessible information. The need for public health messaging is all more crucial to enable the marginalised to make informed decisions about vaccination. In absence of trusted sources of information, the vaccine uptake is inevitably impacted.

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Scroll.in, 18 June, 2021, https://scroll.in/article/997603/why-vaccine-hesitancy-should-not-be-tackled-through-a-carrot-and-stick-policy


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