Imlisanen Jamir
With the COVID-19 vaccination drive well underway, people need clear information and guidance about the vaccines’ safety and potential side effects, so that most people are willing to get the shots. As important, is the need for authorities to build public trust on this issue.
While vaccination is a choice, it is important to know that such drives will only be successful if a significant portion of the populace participates over the course of time. This will however be easier said than done, especially given the extraordinary circumstances we find ourselves in due to COVID-19.
India has approved two vaccines in emergency-use mode — Covishield by the Serum Institute of India, Pune, and Covaxin by Bharat Biotech Ltd. The first consignment of vaccines which arrived in Nagaland was Covidshield.
As inoculations are carried out, there’ll be reports of side effects. This is inevitable. People often feel pain and swelling in their arms after getting the shot. Fever, chills, headache and fatigue are common. Then there are chances of allergic reactions as well. This has been the case with all vaccines.
But there is even more fear and distrust among the public this time around. Most of it is understandable given the rushed timeline in which vaccine development was pushed across multiple drug developers globally. Questions on the development process, vaccine efficacy, its side effects etc are legitimate ones which authorities and the media have a responsibility to provide clarity on.
Then there are those whose fears are being stoked by baseless conspiracy theories with an aversion to facts. These too need to be countered, not with ridicule, but with honest and open information flow and actions that evoke the public trust.
The State government cannot allow news about the cases of vaccine side effects to deter people from taking part in this vaccination campaign. The public needs to be told what to expect. The entire State leadership must move promptly to strengthen people’s confidence on health care institutions.
New vaccination efforts have always faced this challenge. But the COVID-19 issue requires more robust and immediate efforts, especially given the scale of the pandemic and how dangerous misinformation has proven to be in recent times.
This pandemic, along with its tragic consequences, has also given the State an opportunity to re-examine public health care. Along with improving infrastructure and access, the government must now seriously work hard to bolster public trust.
Comments can be sent to imlisanenjamir@gmail.com
