Covid-19 vaccination: Fear, myths & rumours inject vaccine hesitancy

Govts, NGOs and corporations try to get fence-sitters to take the jab

Even as India administered a re­cord 8 million-plus Covid-19 vaccine doses on June 21, up 2.5 times the weekly average of 3.2 million daily shots, pockets of vaccine hesitancy continue to exist. While many fence-sitters may eventually opt for the jab, for now, fear, myths and lack of awareness are keeping some from getting vaccinated. According to a few estimates, 17-18 per cent of eligible Indians are reluctant to take the shot.

Sukhlal Yadav (name changed on request) is among them. Yadav, 47, works at one of the many warehouses along the Mumbai-Nashik highway. He is afr­aid he’ll fall ill if