Vaccine fatigue? Experts blame complacency

Are Indians grappling with vaccine fatigue? Is there a reluctance to take a booster shot? Some experts say yes, and attribute it to a combination of fear, confusion and misinformation.

Only 4.64 lakh people have taken their third Covid jab since April 10. This may become a cause of concern because the Covid numbers are indeed inching up in places like Delhi

Among the reasons for the apparent lethargy are the fear of adverse effects, the view that Covid is now a mild infection and doubts over whether a precaution dose is indeed useful. This is what scientists, public health experts and industry insiders say.

Last week, Serum Institute of India (SII) CEO Adar Poonawalla, whose company manufactures the Covishield vaccine, said they have a lot of unsold inventory. The firm has slashed the price from Rs 600 to Rs 225 a dose.

Many experts blame it on misinformation campaigns launched by anti-vaxxers. That the omicron variant has been less dangerous than the previous ones has also added to the complacency. They recommend counselling and more conversations to counter misinformation campaigns.