The Covid-19 vaccines are ready and have been shipped to several states across the country. The vaccination drive is just hours away now. However, reports indicate that though a majority are keen to get vaccinated, concern about the safety and efficacy of the vaccine is common among citizens.

56 lakh doses of the Covishield vaccine have been flown to 13 cities across India from Pune and taken to designated national and state-level stores amid tight security.

MAJORITY READY TO TAKE VACCINE

A survey by YouGov has revealed that a large majority (68%) of urban Indians are likely to take the vaccine once it’s available. However, a quarter (24%) are unsure of their decision and only 8% are unwilling to take the jab.

More than half (55%) of the urban population say they trust the Indian-origin vaccines more than those from developed nations like the US, UK and Russia.

The survey has brought forth what the citizens think. People who said they are either unsure or unlikely to take the shot, are hesitant about the safety of the vaccine and want to review it first.

SAFETY CONCERN REIGNS SUPREME

Even among the ones willing to take the coronavirus vaccine, safety concern reigns supreme and two in five (41%) have said they will wait a few months before taking the shot. A third (33%), however, will get vaccinated as soon as it is available. A few would do so if vaccination is made compulsory by the government (13%) or by the employer/educational institutes (11%).

FREE VACCINATION

The report also highlighted that half of the surveyed respondents (50%) said they would want the government to arrange free vaccines for everyone in the country.

Many (36%) feel the vaccine should be freely distributed only to the poor, elderly or those who are severely sick, while a few (14%) think those interested in getting the vaccine should pay for it.

PRIORITY TO HIGH-RISK PATIENTS

When asked about the order of priority, a vast majority feels patients suffering from high-risk diseases as well as senior citizens should be the top priority for the vaccination drive. Apart from these, frontline workers and people in the service industry (79% each) are also rated high in the list of vaccine priority.

Public support for priority vaccinations of children and domestic helpers stands at a slightly lower percentage- 67% and 66% respectively, and preference for those below the age of 18 is lower- at 51%.

Apart from concerns around the safety of the vaccine, there seems to be a growing concern among residents about the new Covid strain that was discovered in the UK. When asked about the likely impact of this variant, more than half (53%) fear it may affect vaccine development and response.

https://www.indiatoday.in/coronavirus-outbreak/story/covid-vaccines-shipped-safety-concern-indians-1758506-2021-01-13