Updated: December 18, 2020 3:04:30 pm
A vaccine for Covid-19 may be available in India early next year. (Getty Images / Archive)
At least 69 percent of Indians hesitate to get vaccinated against the new coronavirus, according to a study conducted this month by LocalCircles. This number has risen since October, when 61 percent said they were reluctant to shoot.
LocalCircles, a community social media platform, surveyed more than 18,000 people from 242 districts across the country. Of those surveyed, 66% were men and 34% women. The first study was conducted between October 15 and 20, while the second was conducted from December 10 to 15.
“The Covid-19 vaccine is likely to be available from February 2021 through government and private channels. If that happens, we wanted to understand the approach of citizens towards the application of this vaccine, ”said Sachin Taparia, founder of LocalCircles.
Taparia also said that the key reasons for the hesitation were limited information on side effects, efficacy levels and the growing belief that one would not be infected with the disease due to high levels of immunity.
The daily average of cases from around Diwali in mid-November to mid-December has dropped from 50,000 cases per day to 25,000. This is also a reason to explain the lack of will, said Taparia.
Taparia suggested government measures to curb fake news about vaccines. “Governments must keep citizens updated at every step on the results of vaccine trials, both on successes and on adverse events. With high social media penetration, the risk of false information going viral is high, “said Taparia, adding that authentic and timely information could play a role in turning people into” vaccine champions. ” .
In a separate independent survey of healthcare professionals, 45 percent said they were willing to get the vaccine as soon as it was available, while 55 percent were made up of workers who would delay vaccination or had not yet decided what to do. .
The study, coordinated by Dr. Abdul Ghafur to understand health workers’ attitudes towards Covid vaccination, received 1,424 responses. “The findings reveal important concerns and suggest possible solutions,” said Dr. Ghafur.
© The Indian Express (P) Ltd
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