The Union government has asked states to raise awareness about coronavirus vaccines among people who may be hesitant in getting doses, issuing an advisory for a comprehensive advocacy and social mobilization strategy that will aim to create stress on the need and benefits of inoculation.
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India is preparing the ground for a massive vaccination drive that will be crucial for the country to come out of the pandemic, but the task will need the widest adoption possible in order to create the herd immunity that can potentially remove the virus from circulation. “As the country stands on the cusp of Covid-19 vaccine administration, certain challenges are foreseen that needs to be countered well in time. These may include the challenge of ensuring over 1.3 billion people in India receive factual and timely information and updates on vaccine rollout progress and benefits, public’s anxiety and queries regarding government’s decision for prioritisation of vaccine administration, apprehension about the vaccines introduced after a short trial raising safety concerns, and fear of adverse events, misconception about vaccine efficacy, rumours and negative narrative in the media / social media space, and laxity observed in public adherence to COVID appropriate behaviours,” said ministry’s vaccine guidelines to states.
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To address these possible challenges, the government focus on raising awareness in four key areas: vaccination introduction, vaccine eagerness, vaccine hesitancy and sustenance of Covid-19 appropriate behaviours. “IEC (information education communication) material regarding the same is being distributed among target population to send out the right message, and allay fear regarding vaccination. Volunteers are being adequate trained to go into community for conducting awareness generation campaigns among the target population, among other activities,” said a senior government official, asking not to be named.
Earlier, Union health secretary, Rajesh Bhushan, had also said, “There is a section of people within community which feels that they may not require the vaccine at all, that is called vaccine hesitancy. It is collective responsibility of central, state governments, vaccine manufacturers etc. to educate people.”
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The main objectives of government’s Covid-19 communications strategy include providing prompt, simple and focused communication on vaccine availability, safety and timelines; ensuring understanding and acceptance of the phased and prioritised approach to overcome concerns of population waiting for vaccination; and building public confidence on the safety and efficacy of the new vaccine
Information on Covid-19 vaccine and vaccination process must also explain the implementation plan and facilitate in maintaining transparency based on the learnings of the previous immunisation campaigns.
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