HYDERABAD: While vaccine hesitancy among adults is not an issue in Telangana, when it comes to vaccinating children between 15-17 years of age, there is a lot of reluctance amongst parents. The reluctance is most glaring in Hyderabad and Rangareddy districts where authorities have struggled to reach even 50 per cent of the targeted young adults eligible for vaccination.
In fact, only 49 per cent of the young adults in Rangareddy district have been vaccinated, leaving it languishing at the bottom of the list. Hyderabad is not far behind, with only 53 per cent of the target population of young adults taking the vaccine shot. Medchal has managed to inoculate 60 per cent. Overall, the State is at 69 per cent in terms of administering the first dose of the vaccine to this age group.
Experts point to a multitude of reasons for such a poor show in vaccinations amongst young adults. “The vaccination drive’s commencement and the third wave happened together and schools and colleges were functioning well into the first week of the month. A large number of children got infected during that phase and later which is why parents are not vaccinating children at the moment,” shared Dr Karuna M, senior paediatrician from the city. It maybe recalled that as per guidelines vaccines can be taken only after three months post infection.
Parents are believe it to be more prudent to wait and then take other available brands of vaccine which are approved in more countries and have proven safety and efficacy studies to back it.“One of the reasons to avoid the vaccine for my child was that only Covaxin as a choice was available, data regarding which is still not fully known. I did not want to risk the same as it meant only waiting it out for one more year when he turns 18 and can take Covishield and other available vaccines,” said a parent.Meanwhile, Health officials note that mobilising children has been a challenge with schools being closed or being online only.