GUWAHATI: The Meghalaya government will counsel healthcare workers, including doctors and nurses, who are unwilling to get vaccinated for COVID-19. According to official sources, 2,505 health care workers in the state have not yet taken the jabs due to hesitancy. They are among 28,708 health care workers that the government targeted to vaccinate.
Vaccine hesitancy among doctors, nurses and other HCWs in the state came to light during a recent survey conducted by the Indian Institute of Public Health, Shillong in four hospitals. The unvaccinated health care workers in government hospitals include 93 doctors and 462 nurses while 43 doctors and 144 nurses of private hospitals have not got jabbed.
Health Minister James PK Sangma said the government would create awareness and counsel this section of the health care workers. He said rumours that the vaccines have side-effects and cause complications during pregnancy, among others, contributed to the vaccine hesitancy.
TMC legislator Himalaya M Shangpliang, who had raised the issue, said while the government was asking people to get vaccinated, it was unfortunate that a section of HCWs ignored the advice. NCP MLA SA Sangma said these HCWs should be sent on leave.