PATNA: At a time when healthcare workers are hesitant about taking the
Covid-19 vaccines, the state government has been circulating messages on different platforms to allay the fears and rumours going around, special secretary-cum-executive director of State Health Society (SHS) Manoj Kumar said on Sunday.
The health department sources said concern over the safety and efficacy of the vaccines has led to low turnout of the registered beneficiaries to take the shots.
Manoj said to counter the rumours and provide correct information about the two vaccines -- Covishield and Covaxin — the department has been circulating the messages on different platforms, including jingles on radio. “Many senior SHS officials have taken the vaccine jab to build confidence among the healthcare workers,” he said.
“We are reaching out to healthcare workers, including ASHA and Anganwadi workers among others, to take vaccine,” he said.
The health experts say the vaccines are prepared after proper research, following protocols, going through a number of tests and clinical trials that proved their efficacy and safety. The vaccines have also been approved by the Drugs Controller General of India.
Former Indian Medical Association (IMA)-Bihar president Dr Rajiv Ranjan Prasad said, “European dominance is still there in India, due to which people think that the countrymade vaccines are not as good as foreign ones. Secondly, political parties have created unnecessary negativity bout the vaccines. Lastly, the scientific intelligentsia of the country did not come out in defence of the vaccines. These are the main reasons why people are reluctant to take vaccines,” he said.
He also stressed that after taking the vaccine, the beneficiaries have to maintain Covid-19 safety protocols because the antibody against the virus gets time to develop in human body. So, unless the antibody cycle develops scientifically, people are susceptible to infection, he said.
AIIMS-Patna nodal officer for Covid-19, Dr Sanjeev Kumar, said people need to follow safety protocols like regularly washing hands, using face mask, hand sanitiser and maintaining social distance, because the vaccine will take time to develop antibody in human system after taking the doses. He also said the vaccines are safe.