SVEEP the Vaccine Like in Voting

Context: India’s vaccination program can follow the Systematic Voters’ Education and Electoral Participation (SVEEP) model to tackle issues in India’s vaccination drive.

Issues in India’s Vaccination Drive

• Poor coverage: only a little over three million of the prioritized 300 million people were vaccinated in the first two weeks of drive.
• Skewed vaccination turnout: while states like Odisha, Haryana and Karnataka have reported a higher turnout, others like Jharkhand, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu have had lower turnout.
• Vaccine hesitancy: citizens’ response has not matched the eager wait, and vaccine hesitancy could sabotage the overall health plan.

Using SVEEP Model in Vaccination Drive

• Like voting, the vaccine is voluntary: like SVEEP, in vaccination plan also all marked as a priority on the database should take the jab on the appointed date (s).
  • SVEEP strategy with scientific field analysis helped in removing sticky gaps in voter registration and turnout that stagnated at around 55-60%.
  • Almost 200 million more citizens had registered as electors by the 2019 general elections, compared to 2009.
• Fight infodemic in a pandemic: SVEEP strategy with dimensions of information, motivation and facilitation that has helped in increasing voter turnout can also cement trust between vaccine and community through following efforts-
  • Information through street plays, human chains, roadshows, cycle rallies, flash mobs, marathons, beach runs, sand art, quizzes, and postcard campaigns.
  • Motivation through signature campaigns, voting pledges, voter festivals and selfie points.
  • Facilitation through assured minimum facilities like drinking water, toilets and ramps for the differently abled and model polling stations.

Way Forward

• Hassle free delivery of vaccination: needs to cover as many alternative modes, extended sessions, flexible sites and timings for example-
  • Eliminate procedural wrangles and glitches in the Co-WIN app.
  • ‘Call and contact’ and ‘vaccine on call’ arrangement can be possible at some stage.
• Systematic vaccine communication: for optimisation of benefits and beefing up of vaccine awareness, confidence and participation by all stakeholders and not just government.
  • Vaccination icons’ like cricketers, sports stars, actors, singers, faith leaders need to unleash their persuasive power through communication channels (just like Amitabh Bachchan’s ‘Do Boond Zindagi Ki’ for the Pulse Polio campaign).

Conclusion: The Election Commission’s audacious mission ‘No Voter to be Left Behind’ needs to apply to the list of vaccination beneficiaries as well.