It’s not just the pandemic that officials in the Indian hinterland are fighting. Rumors and myths about Covid-19 vaccines have thrown the rural population into an abyss of fear and distrust.
The government may want to vaccinate all of India’s adult population by December, but the situation on the ground is different as many villagers are resisting the attempt. Side effects from vaccinations and reports of deaths even after taking the vaccine have fueled rumors that the Covid-19 vaccine is fatal.
India Today reached some of the most remote parts of the country and tried to find the cause of the vaccination phobia.
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The death of the priestess causes panic in the village of Rajasthan
The Ashok Gehlot government in Rajasthan has drawn up an ambitious plan to contain the spread of Covid-19 in rural areas. However, rigid beliefs, coupled with rumors, are an obstacle, even in the prime minister’s homeland in Jodhpur.
An eerie calm reigns in the village of Shergarh, where the death of a priestess from Covid has unsettled the villagers. Munni Devi was the local bhupa who prayed to folk deities and offered cures for diseases during the pandemic. The villagers are incredulous at how Munni Devi, who had “special powers”, succumbed to the virus.
Her grieving husband, Amolak Ram, told India Today, “The local hospital ran out of blood and referred us to another hospital. She died on the way.”
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Others, however, have a different story to tell.
“She used to practice rituals to please the gods. She thought the gods would save her and did not go to the test. After that, her situation worsened,” said Madan Singh, the representative of the Sarpanch.
The Shergarh Block has recorded more than 80 deaths from Covid and vaccination campaigns here have met resistance. “Those who took the vaccine died. About 30-35 families, including mine, didn’t take the vaccine,” says Chalaram, a shoemaker.
There were rumors in the local market that someone died after taking the vaccine. It spread like wildfire, grabbing villages one by one. Poverty and illiteracy have only acted as catalysts to fuel the rumors.
“I don’t have the disease, so why should I take the vaccine? Everyone who took the vaccine got sick,” says Chalaram’s wife, also known as Munni.
Agrees with other villagers like Teesta Devi and Neemaram. “I’m a worker; I go to work. I don’t know if anyone came to test. But I heard that everyone who took the vaccine died. So I didn’t take it,” says Neemaram.
Obviously the scientific arguments lose their way into the rural hinterland of India.
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In the interior of India’s most populous state of Uttar Pradesh, the vaccination process has yet to pick up speed. Fears among the population did not help either.
India Today reached the village of Pakara Bazargaon near Lucknow, where vaccination was in progress at the local primary health center. Interestingly, the turnout among the villagers was low, and most of the beneficiaries came from Lucknow, who had not been able to get a seat.
Dr. Shalini, the medical officer, said most of the villagers were afraid of taking the vaccine and had their own misconceptions about it. She said most of the families here lost members during the second wave of Covid and now believe their lives could be at risk after taking the vaccine.
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Pooja, a 35-year-old housewife, lives right next to the local PHC. “Me and my husband are not going to take the vaccine. It’s harmful and can kill us,” she says.
“I’ve heard from villagers that people have developed a fever after taking the vaccine and some have even lost their lives. I’m not ready to take the vaccine yet and will need time to make up my mind,” said the 25th -year-old Ayush Shukla. .
Another villager, Hiralal, 40, says he is absolutely fine and there is no reason to take the vaccine.
“Some people had died earlier even after taking the vaccine, which led to fear. False information circulating on WhatsApp is also a major reason for vaccination reluctance,” said 30-year-old Bhupendra Singh.
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Leave indoor areas alone, even villages on the outskirts of large cities distrust the vaccine. India Today went to the village of Ratibad near Bhopal and found that the reluctance to vaccinate is a factor here too.
Lokesh, who is well educated and is a building materials supplier, says his father’s condition worsened after the vaccination and that he recovered in almost 20 days. Lokesh says that’s why he’s scared of a sting.
Gagan, a contractor, and Sunil, a farm worker, have also stayed away from vaccinations. They say whoever takes the vaccine gets sick.
The two vaccination centers in Ratibad have so far vaccinated almost 5,000 people. But fear grips the village, and rumors have only slowed the vaccination rate.
WhatsApp rumors plague this village in Bihar
Eighteen-year-old Aman Kumar, a resident of Kariyat village in the Saharsa district of Bihar, is vehemently against vaccinations. Many others in this village of 1,500 people share the same opinion.
Aman believes vaccination could result in death. “I haven’t vaccinated against Covid as there are several cases where people die after taking the vaccine,” he said.
Another villager, Pranav Kumar, 41, says the vaccine being made available to the rural population is wrong. “The government is sending the right vaccines, but what we’re getting here is wrong. We see everyone who takes the vaccine dies. We also get information from WhatsApp that whoever takes the vaccine is dying, ”he said.
Local administrations in all rural areas are trying their best to reach people and dispel rumors, but clearly much more needs to be done.
(Photos: India Today)
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