The Health Department has plenty of work to do in alleviating fears of the Covid-19 vaccine in Meghalaya if healthcare workers are anything to go by.
According to a study conducted by the Indian Institute of Public Health (IIPH), health workers in the state are hesitant to take the Covid-19 vaccine because of a number of apprehensions, which Principal Secretary to the Health Department, Sampath Kumar, sought to dismiss.
“There is one misconception, that is that when you take the vaccine there is a problem with pregnancy,” Kumar said.
This is a misunderstanding, the senior civil servant explained. While the vaccine is completely safe, at present pregnant women and lactating mothers are advised not to get the jab at present. This advisory exists worldwide and is only because, for ethical reasons, the vaccine was not tested on pregnant and lactating women.
“But a lot of doctors are now saying that they (pregnant and lactating women) should also be given the vaccine because they also need to be protected. Once clarity comes, we will issue a notification,” the Principal Secretary said.
Plenty of other fake news surrounds the vaccine, many of it coming from social media.
“You need to believe in authentic information, which is given by the World Health Organisation and National Health Mission. People should not go through social media news that is not verified,” he added.
This misinformation is worrisome because it leads people to doubt advice given by competent bodies and not take the vaccine.
Meanwhile, a State Communication Unit has been constituted to create awareness on Covid-19 and the vaccine.
For the next week an intensive campaign will be undertaken for this and also for identification of symptoms, containment and treatment.
“People should be aware of containment, vaccination and treatment. Many people do not recognise the symptoms because they think that it is a common cold or flu and they are not consulting the doctor and are not taking treatment. Only when the case gets worse are they taken to hospital and we are not able to save them,” Kumar added.
