People avoiding booster dose due to fear and confusion: Experts
Amidst the increase in cases of corona virus infection in India, not many people are getting booster doses. Scientists, health experts and industry experts say that the main reasons for hesitation in getting a booster dose are the fear of adverse effects, the perception of a mild infection of COVID-19 and the skepticism about the effectiveness of the precautionary dose.
(Uzmi Athar) New Delhi, April 26 Since April 10, only 4.64 lakh people have received a booster dose of the anti-Covid-19 vaccine in India. Experts say that Indians are avoiding taking precautionary doses due to fear, confusion and misinformation.
Amidst the increase in cases of corona virus infection in India, not many people are getting booster doses. Scientists, health experts and industry experts say that the main reasons for hesitation in getting a booster dose are the fear of adverse effects, the perception of a mild infection of COVID-19 and the skepticism about the effectiveness of the precautionary dose.
According to virologist T Jacob John, there is hesitation about the booster dose because the new experts’ claims are misleading.
He told PTI-Bhasha, “I get many questions to clarify the position on booster dose. That’s why I know that the government’s ‘educational activity’, which seeks to reduce the risk of COVID-19 deaths, hospitalization rates and severe symptoms by completing immunization of the most vulnerable, is doing more than creating awareness. It’s confusing.”
The former director of the Indian Council of Medical Research’s Center for Advanced Research in Virology said that for a long time people were told that full immunization meant two doses, so the term precautionary dose has created confusion. Adar Poonawalla, CEO of Serum Institute of India (SII), which manufactures CoveShield, said last week that they have a large number of unsold vaccines in their stock. According to Poonawalla, “We had stopped production on 31 December 2021.
At present, we have more than 200 million doses. I have offered to give these for free, but even that offer has not received much response.” Speaking at the ‘Times Network India Economic Conclave’, Poonawalla said, “There seems to be some hesitation among people about vaccines. Despite the prices coming down to Rs 225 per dose, they are not being procured much.” In the eyes of Praveen Sikri, CEO, Icaris Pharma Network, people are questioning the need for a precautionary dose, as the previous wave of COVID-19 infections was not fatal.
Sikri said that anti-vaccination people are spreading false news like liver damage, blood clotting and death of children due to vaccination, which is creating hesitation among people to get vaccinated.
According to Sikri, there is a need to have more dialogue about vaccines and involve people in the decision-making process to remove hesitation against vaccination.
He said that it is necessary to tell people that countries that have not had enough vaccinations or do not have more effective vaccines have been badly affected by Covid-19.
