Vax hypocrisy behind COVID jab reluctance, says expert

Vaccine hypocrisy is the reason for vaccine hesitancy where less than 15 per cent frontline workers were vaccinated against the current COVID-19 pandemic, opined international virologist and former Vellore CMC Virology department head, Dr T Jacob John.

Talking to DT Next, he said: “The common feeling among the public is that India is trying to keep pace with other countries regarding the production of vaccine and hence no proper awareness has been created on how the vaccine will protect the population from infection and death.”

Top officials have failed to take the public into confidence by underlining the fact that the vaccine would protect them from death. “The call is only to get vaccinated and hence the reason why there is so much vaccine hesitancy even among health officials,” he said.

Stating this to be “vaccine hypocrisy”, he elaborated: “When the Ebola virus outbreak occurred in Southern Guinea in Africa, the government as also vaccine regulators were highly unwilling to release the vaccine to the public till all phase III trials for the vaccine was completed. It was the public that demanded that the vaccine be released.

Even when the government decided to undertake a controlled study with some being given a placebo, it was the public which said no and demanded that all be given the ebola vaccine. Based on this, patients were split into two groups, one being given the vaccine within 24 hours of contact and the other group within 21 days. No deaths were reported in the first group proving the vaccine’s efficacy.”

Though many vaccines may offer the public a choice, what is needed for India is a vaccine which will prevent both infection and death. This will be known only when a thorough follow up is undertaken after a section of the population is vaccinated, which is not the case as regards the current pandemic, he said.

Senior health officials, not wanting to be quoted, said: “This is what

happens when a vaccine not fully tested is released for restricted emergency use. If top officials and leaders including the President and Prime Minister had offered to

be vaccinated, it would have greatly removed the present hesitancy as then leaders and party workers would have ensured that the message reached the public.”