Leaders across the political spectrum should spread vaccine awareness
The new vaccine policy of the UnionGovernment, after many twists and turns, got off to a thumping start with nearly 82 lakh citizens getting a vaccine shot in a single day. The role played by State Governments, many of whom have realized the potential of vaccinationsto ensure getting the economy back on track,cannot be underplayed. The zeal they showed in driving the vaccination exercise in a 'mission mode' is commendable. The second good news amid nearly three months of gloom and pandemic-stricken psyche is the constantly reducing number in active Covid cases across the country, providing relief to the stretched healthcare system.
These two developments along with a limited unlock process and the upcoming festival season could bring a ray of hope for prosperity and growth for all enterprises. Early signs of revival in FMCG sales and signals emerging from auto manufacturersand real estate developers indicate a healthy bounce-back.However, it is also the time for extreme caution and to try to be ahead of the shape-shifter virus before it strikes back with vengeance. India has managed to provide at least one jab of the vaccine to nearly 30 crore citizens. This means a vast majority of the population is still at risk.The nature of the war against the virus is as strong as the last vulnerable citizen. The challenge is toquickly rampup vaccination and overcomevaccine hesitancy. These two issues are interrelated, as one of the reasons for India's reluctance to place bulk orders of vaccines in the global markets was a second thought on the need for vaccines towards the beginning of this year. The government correctly launched the vaccination programme with the most vulnerable segments of the population and front-line healthcare workers. However, somewhere in the high decibel election campaign and the frenzy of religious gatheringsthe messageof and the need to vaccinate all was lost. The result was a disaster with fatal consequences includingfor many senior government officials.
The issue of vaccine hesitancy is a matter of concernas reports indicate that rural India is resisting attempts to take the jab. While urban India is queuing up in front of vaccine centers,there are numerous reports of the rural folk literally running away from them. This is where the role of the state governments and local administration kicks in. The government can devise strategies for dispelling myths about the vaccine and persuade its grassroots employees to spread vaccine awareness. The local village influencers have their roles cut out too. The reality is that many of the states are now ruled by personality-driven chief ministers who would like to share the political dividends of free vaccination with the Uniongovernment. A clever sharing of optical space between the Centre and the States, providing ample opportunities for both to achieve their political goals while ensuring the safety of the citizens, can be a milestone. Afterall, a single central team of vaccinators no matter, how large, will not be able to reach the stated target of one crore vaccinations per day without the local leaders' help. The problem gets more acute in rural areas where various pressure and caste groups create a system of opaqueness for an initiative to save lives. The governments have ample evidence in the past of vaccinating nearly 17 crore children every week which led to the eradication of polio in the country. Lessons from the past would come in handy in vaccinating another 70 crore citizens of the country against Covid-19.
(The writer is a policy analyst. The views expressed are personal.)