BARIPADA: Vaccine hesitancy continues to prevail in certain rural pockets of the tribal-dominated Mayurbhanj district. On Tuesday, a vaccination team was detained for more than six hours by villagers of Talsari under Badakhaman panchayat.
The team comprising an ASHA and anganwadi workers had gone to Talsari to make a list of the households which were to be vaccinated on Wednesday. However, they had to face the wrath of villagers who expressed reluctance to get the jabs.
Anganwadi worker Soumya Murmu said, "We reached the village at around 2.30 pm. When we tried to collect the details of some families, the villagers started to make absurd claims about vaccines. While some said there was no COVID-19, others claimed people are falling sick after getting the vaccines."
Surendra Murmu, a villager, said, "We are living in a remote area and hence, there is no chance for Covid-19 spreading here. Besides, taking vaccines makes people sick. If we fall sick, we won’t be able to do farm work. So, the villagers decided not to take the vaccines."
On being informed about the incident, Udala block development officer (BDO) Debjani Bhuyan and tehsildar Manisha Madhulika Hembram along with local police rushed to the village and pacified the villagers. The health team was rescued at around 6.30 pm.
BDO Bhuyan said the villagers are unaware about the importance of vaccines. "We will first conduct an awareness drive. Thereafter, the vaccination programme will be carried out in the village," she added. Sources said that many people from the Khadia, Mankdia and other tribal communities residing in rural pockets of the district are yet to take the COVID vaccine.