THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The concerns of a section of health workers regarding the Covid vaccine has been causing the immunisation drive to move at a snail’s pace. Despite the elaborate campaign of the health department on the safety of the vaccine, many, including doctors, have stayed away from getting inoculated.
While the first day of the drive recorded a 72 per cent turnout, the second day (January 18) saw the numbers drop to 66.5 per cent. “A small group is anxious about the vaccine’s safety. News about a few health workers in other states developing adverse effects discouraged more people from taking the vaccine on the second day,” said an officer. People usually adopt a ‘wait and watch’ approach before giving in to vaccines and medicines, he said. “The more the official machinery hammers in virtues of the vaccine, the more they will resist,” he said.
The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare gave directions to the state to improve its numbers after noticing the slow rate of vaccination. However, Health Minister K K Shailaja has maintained that the rate here is better than other states. “We covered a large number of beneficiaries on the first day itself, while other states had to halt the drive due to a glitch in the Covid portal,” she said. Also, no serious side-effects have been reported so far, she added.
The state is in no hurry to ramp up the numbers as it considers the vaccination a personal choice. The National Health Mission has directed the district health authorities not to take any competitive steps to maximise vaccine registration. Health experts who oversaw the H1N1 influenza vaccination said people will slowly but surely come around. “It is human nature to be cautious. The initial phase of the influenza vaccine was slow. However, towards the end, the numbers grew exponentially,” said Dr Amar Fettle, nodal officer for communicable diseases.