Rural area residents reluctant to take Covid-19 vaccine shot

Manav Mander

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, March 16

Though the ongoing Covid vaccination drive managed to gather good response in the urban areas, people in rural areas are not so enthusiastic about the same.

At the start of the week, the total number of people vaccinated in the district stood at 72,364 of which 26,516 belonged to urban areas, only 7,111 to rural areas while there were 38,737 people whose areas were undefined.

The rural population is not so enthusiastic about getting themselves vaccinated for the disease and the Health Department needs to disseminate information and awareness about the vaccine.

In addition to the rural population, those living in the outskirts of the city are also little hesitant in getting the jab.

A dairy farmer, on the condition of anonymity, said he had heard about the vaccine but he did not know that it was available in Punjab as well.

“I don’t know about and how will I get it. There is no health-related issue with me that I need to take the vaccine,” he said.

Manjinder Singh, a farmer from a village near Maachiwara said that he has not got himself vaccinated yet. “I have heard that even after getting vaccinated, people are testing positive. We live in village where there is so much open space and less crowding so there is less fear of infection,” he said.

Similarly, Kamla Devi, a 66-year-old woman from Dhandari Kalan, said she does not have time to collect the required papers and get herself vaccinated. “I have never tested positive so there is no need,” she said.

Meanwhile, Arun Kumar (62), from Bhai Himmat Singh Nagar, Dugri (urban area), who tested positive on May 9, 2020 after few people at his workplace caught the infection said he was yet to be vaccinated.

“I will be getting myself vaccinated in the coming days. I have no doubts and will be getting the jab very soon,” he said.

What civil surgeon says

“The figures in rural areas remain less as compared to urban areas and we have step up up the awareness activities in the rural areas and since now vaccination has also been started in Primary Health Centres and we are hopeful of a positive response from rural population,” said Ludhiana Civil Surgeon Dr Sukhjeevan Kakkar.

Many unaware

• In addition to the rural population, those living on the outskirts of the city are also a little hesitant in getting the jab. The Health Department needs to disseminate information and awareness about the vaccine.
• Manjinder Singh, a farmer from a village near Maachiwara, said he had not got himself vaccinated yet. “I have heard that even after getting vaccinated, people are testing positive. We live in village where there is so much open space and less crowding so there is less fear of infection,” he said.

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