People missing their second dose in a fresh wave of vaccine hesitancy is an alarming sign

The vaccination process in the country has slowed down. It will be attributed to the festive season, beginning Dusserah and now, Diwali. The season lasts till new year’s eve. It could be one reason but other pertinent reasons cannot be ignored. It is nearly certain that if December 31 is the Government’s chosen deadline by which to vaccinate all eligible adults, then that target is most likely to be missed. Vaccinations slowed down in the Diwali week to 2.42 crore as against four crore the previous week. That is a drop of close to a half and may not be really surprising considering many people would have been on leave and travelling. The figure may pick up in the coming week. However, what is worrisome is the fact that a large portion of the high-risk population of India has missed the second dose. Forty per cent of elders above 60 years — 11,04,55,016 to be exact — have not yet taken the second dose. Only 6.78-odd crore of them have received both the doses. There is no data available about the reasons. Were they aware of the deadline for the second dose, or were they ill or otherwise occupied that they missed the date, or could they not make it to the vaccination centres for some reason?

It is well-known by now that the Coronavirus is most damaging for the elderly and infirm, more so for those with comorbidities among them. This section with only one dose will be the most vulnerable if the country were to witness a fresh pandemic wave. Even in the 14-44 age group, the percentage of those who received the second dose is much less. Forty-two crore first doses have been given to this segment in comparison to 14.89 crore second doses. It is this group that is most afflicted by vaccine hesitancy and vaccine complacency. The 45-59 per cent age group has fared comparatively better about the second dose. The Government should more vigorously campaign to draw people to the vaccination centres. The immediate focus should be on the vulnerable sections. Those who have consciously missed out on the second dose need convincing. Employers should come up with penalties if the staff is knowingly delaying their second dose. The ‘Har Ghar Dastak’ campaign should literally knock at doors to get hesitant and complacent to the vaccination centres.