'59% Indians sceptical about COVID-19 vaccine, won't rush to take it'

NEW DELHI With chances of affordable COVID-19 vaccine likely to be available by February 2021, 59 per cent Indians divulged that they will not rush to take it, a survey revealed on Wednesday.

With the possibility of an affordable vaccine by February 2021, a survey was conducted by 'LocalCircles' to understand the hesitancy levels. The survey received more than 25,000 responses from citizens across 262 districts of India.

The first question in the survey asked, "The COVID-19 vaccine is likely to be available from February 2021 via private and Government channels. If that happens, what will be your approach to taking this vaccine?".

Responses from 8,936 citizens were received. Of which, 8 per cent said, "I am a health or frontline worker and will get it on priority through the government", 13 per cent said "will get it as quickly as it becomes available via any healthcare channel", 11 per cent said "will get it as quickly as it becomes available via private healthcare channel".

Another 59 per cent of respondents said that they will not rush to take the vaccine even if it is available in the near future. The perception of the majority of citizens sceptical on taking vaccine has not changed much as compared to the result of the survey conducted in mid-October by LocalCircles.

Sixty-one per cent of 8,312 voters at the time had said they are sceptical about COVID-19 vaccine and will not rush to take it in 2021 even if it is available.

Closer home in India, where Serum Institute of India is conducting trials for the vaccine under name Covishield, a participant who undertook the trial has alleged the vaccine of causing him serious side-effects, both neurological and psychological filing for damages against Serum.

Serum has dismissed the claims as "oblique pecuniary motive" maintaining that the participant's suffering was independent of the vaccine trial he underwent and has sought damages for malicious allegations in excess of Rs 100 crores.

The second question asked citizens, "Once the COVID-19 vaccine is ready and commercially available, what is the level of black-marketing risk do you envisage?". 8,934 responses were received. Notably, 72 per cent Indians believe that once the vaccine is available, there is a high risk of it being sold in the market.

In mid-July, after the Remdesivir black marketing escalation, LocalCircles on citizen recommendation wrote to Department of Pharmaceuticals and Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to implement serial number and bar code based tracking of vaccine from factory to administration to a patient such that there is no room for black-marketing.

The third question asked citizens, "Should the vaccine be rolled out for hospitals only after a digital platform is introduced with the use of a unique serial number to track the supply of COVID-19 vaccine from factory to administration to citizens?".

Of 7,786 responses, 65 per cent of citizens believe that the COVID-19 vaccine should not be rolled out till a digital platform to track every dose from factory to final administration to citizens is functional.

With 65 per cent citizens believing that the vaccine should not be rolled for commercial or hospital use till the digital vaccine tracking platform is ready indicates that people of India believe that there is a high risk that the vaccine without a working digital platform could get in the wrong hands leading to black-marketing scenarios and even counterfeiting. (IANS)

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