India began its vaccination drive with great zeal. The drive was termed as the world’s biggest one. The confidence and spirit of the stakeholders were very high. Everything at that point of time appeared to be well within reach, keeping in mind the demand and supply of vaccines. But during the process the drive lost its momentum and the euphoria that had rolled out the drive started to fade away gradually. There are also reports of glaring disparity in rural-urban vaccination drive.
As per recently published report by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, it is estimated that only about one-third of the rural population has access to internet and a large part of them are not aware as to how to access the vaccine apps and portals. According to a survey conducted by a Boston Consulting Group, it has been found that 63 per cent in rural areas and 43 per cent in smaller towns didn’t know how to register on the CoWin app for vaccination. Also 60 per cent of rural residents and 40 per cent of those in smaller towns did not even know how to enrol.
The sharp rural and urban divide in our vaccination drive can best be summarised by an analysis carried out by Reuters which says 114 of India’s least developed districts – home to a collective population of 176 million people – have administered only 23 million doses of the Covid-19 vaccines so far. On the contrary, almost the same number of vaccines has been doled out across India’s nine major cities like New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Pune, Thane and Nagpur whose combined population is less than half of the least developed districts.
According to The Hindu, by mid-May, 30.3 per cent of India’s urban population had received at least one dose of the vaccine compared to 19.2 per cent in semi-urban areas, 15.1 per cent in semi-rural areas and just 12.7 per cent in rural areas. Analysis by the BBC of 729 districts for which data was available shows wide disparities in per capita vaccination rates – some districts have given jabs to half their population, while others have vaccinated as little as 3 per cent.
As per a case study provided to Radiance by Arshad Rasool, Vaccine Cold Chain Manager, Office Chief Medical Officer, District Sambhal, Uttar Pradesh, “The population of Sambhal district is around 25 lakhs. According to estimates, people above the age of 18 make 40 per cent i.e. 10 lakhs. “At present we have not reached 10 per cent. Till now 1,99,287 i.e. 8 per cent target has been achieved. Lack of emotional connection is responsible for failure. The bitter truth is also that vaccination is being seen from the point of view of government duty.”
“At present there is lack of awareness at the grassroots level. For this, government machinery can be used at the village level. The contribution of employees like Pradhan, BDC members, other public representatives, teachers, village development officers, employment servants, ASHA, Anganwadi workers, sanitation workers can prove to be a milestone in villages,” said Rasool.
Dr Mohammad Shavez, a reputed doctor of Sambhal, a senior physician at Dr Zubair Memorial Clinic and who served as Secretary & Treasurer, National Integrated Medical Association (NIMA), Sambhal and has the experience of vaccination drive in rural and urban areas said that due to misinformation, rumours, fake social media narrative people are hesitant and apprehensive of taking vaccines. Even around 50 per cent of private doctors in Sambhal have not taken vaccines and are hesitant.
Of all other factors, the perception that has entrenched in the mindset of the people as to what is the use of taking vaccines if one can still become Covid-positive. Many doctors here and in various parts of the country have been diagnosed Covid positive even after taking first or second dose of Covid vaccines. People should be made aware that even if one has been diagnosed Covid positive after taking vaccines, the infection is most likely to be less serious as compared with people who have not taken vaccines. People will also recover more quickly if one has taken vaccines as vaccine is really a shield against Covid-19 and one must take the vaccine to be at the safer side against the deadly virus.
“India’s massive Covid-19 vaccine penetration has been hampered by many challenges, including vaccine hesitancy spurred by rumours, misconceptions and issues around digital dependency for vaccine registrations. It is becoming skewed towards cities and towns with the rural parts of the country being increasingly left behind. While it is extremely unfortunate, but it isn’t surprising that urban India has greater access to vaccines. This could possibly be due to the fact that vaccination-related information and messaging campaign are much more prominent in urban India,” said Dr. Wasim Ghori – Consultant Diabetologist & Fellow – Royal Society of Public Health, UK.
He added, “The access to vaccination centres significantly gets disrupted in rural India, especially for socio-economically weaker sections who are digitally illiterate, with less or no access to technology (bots/applications), lack of smartphone accessibility, no or disrupted internet connectivity, language disconnect and local healthcare centres being located miles away. It is important to note that a large proportion of rural India is dependent on daily wages that it may not be easy for them to travel to primary health centres to get their vaccine shots.”
According to Dr. Maskoor Usmani, former President of AMU who had established along with others a free Covid Care and Recovery Centre at Dr Zakir Hussain Teacher’s Training College at Darbhanga, Bihar, “Myths have taken over reality in the recent times. Covid-19 hit India in its worst where millions lost their lives. At this juncture we are living under a regime which is manifesting its unscientific temperament where elected representatives are giving foul comments in the public domain. Amid this cacophony, truth and rationality has been lost somewhere. We have seen in the recent past that despite facing major catastrophe, people are living in myths regarding Covid vaccination. Most of our public are still in dilemma.
“If we look at the rural population in particular, most of it has shown an averse attitude towards vaccination. At many incidents, public health workers were attacked and people sometimes have jumped into rivers avoiding vaccination drive. One cannot truly blame the rural or urban populace of our country for such reluctance rather this is what has been shaped as a narrative by the dispensation in the long run,” opined Dr Usmani.