Every afternoon the Union Health Ministry briefs media with coronavirus update in the country. Inter alia we officially learn how many new people got infected with the virus, how many lost lives because of it and how many people got vaccinated. Switch on TV and you will get the impression that vaccination is going on a very slow pace. Surf newspaper pages in morning. The same story.
While a large section of populace, particularly in 18-45 years age group, clamours for vaccine, there is another section which is hell bent on avoiding getting a shot of vaccine at all costs. Meet a family of five residing in my neighbourhood. Subscribing to a particular political ideology, the head of the family and his wife decided not to get vaccinated following comments of his leader on vaccine early this year. Now all the five are eligible to get vaccine, but they will not opt for it because two of their distant relatives died in the present wave of pandemic after getting vaccinated.
This impression has percolated down deeply among many people. One of my friends in southern part of the state said during the last month among all the deaths in two neighbouring towns at least 60 per cent were of those people who had got vaccine shot. He went on to allege that vaccination was in wrong, untrained and unskilled hands, and cold chain was barely maintained, making the vaccine ‘poisonous’.
Nearer home, a junior avoided vaccination just because he would not be able to quench his daily thirst of liquor. His three younger brothers who also recently qualified for vaccination are determined to follow the suit. Another junior, who is friend of a health worker posted in a primary health centre on the outskirts of city, avoided vaccination for the same reason. But the worker forcibly vaccinated him (and his wife) for their better. One day this health worker registered a villager for vaccination, but the villager started fleeing the hospital to have his day’s quota of liquor. He had to be practically held for the vaccine shot.
The village in which this health centre is located is dominated by Yadavas and Muslims, both of whom will not opt for vaccination. After all their leader pronounced in the beginning of this year that he would not get shot of BJP’s vaccine. Incidentally, people from the neighbouring villages and hamlets which have considerable population of SCs thronged the centre for the vaccine. Their leader not only got vaccine, but also posted her photo on social media while getting vaccinated.
Gradually crowd at this health centre which used to vaccinate almost 100 people in a day initially gradually thinned. Seeing increasing number of returned vaccines to the main storage facility, the health administration is now sending just 50 doses every day now. Even from this, 20-30 doses are returned. The problem gets compounded when 12-13 people turn up for getting vaccinated. As one vial serves 10 people, if the second vial is opened doses will go waste. In such case the health centre workers take round of the village and request the villagers to get jab.
