A Creative & Local Vaccine Push

Context: A culturally resonant information campaign is needed to counter vaccine hesitancy in rural India.

Challenges to vaccination:

• Supply deficit: We must recognise the major challenges in vaccinating the entire population. The foremost challenge has been a supply deficit.
• Vaccine hesitancy: Misinformation, disinformation, and misplaced beliefs have led to fears about the potential harmful effects of vaccines.
• Digital divide: It is imprudent to suggest that only those with smartphones are getting vaccinated.

Measures taken:

• Ensuring supply:
  • Starting from June 21, the Union government will take charge of 75% of the total procurement and provide vaccines to states at no cost.
  • Fortnightly updates on the supply of vaccines to states are being taken to ensure transparency and efficiency in planning.
• Tackling vaccine hesitancy: With no “one-size-fits-all” solution to vaccine hesitancy, contextualised and curated approaches are crucial.
  • The WHO has put forth the BeSD (behavioural and social drivers) vaccination model, which emphasises “motivation” as the vanguard of human psychology during a vaccination drive.
  • For example, in Biladi and Nandurbar, local authorities, cultural leaders and influencer were empowered to spread the right information on vaccines.
  • The districts of Ramgarh in Jharkhand and Gadchiroli in Maharashtra have been successfully utilising such networks to create awareness and reduce vaccine hesitancy.
• Bridging the digital divide:
  • The CoWin platform facilitates on-camp vaccine registration, which accounts for 55% registration.
  • The Unique Disability Identification Card covering 32.38 lakh divyang beneficiaries has been added to the existing seven identification sources on CoWin.
  • A toll-free helpline number 1075 has been activated for those without internet.
  • Fintech startups were involved in vaccine registration - PayNearby is a startup operating across 17,622 pin codes and has helped over 8 lakh citizens register through its network of agents called “digital pradhans”.

Way Forward:

• Localised solutions:
  • Local languages and dialects should be used to engage people via local radio, television channels and regional newspapers.
  • Local artists can be encouraged to innovate through music, murals, graffiti, dance and drama.
  • In the tribal districts of Chhattisgarh, for example, popular folk songs are being used to highlight the benefits of vaccination.
  • Leverage ASHA workers and the auxiliary nurse-midwives.
• More towards digital divide: Districts can explore missed-call campaigns, asking citizens to give a missed call on local helplines, which could ensure that minimal infrastructure is being optimised for processing high-volume user requests.
• Checking Adverse Events Following Immunisation (AEFI): Dedicated representatives can provide vaccine-related pre- and post-counselling to individuals and address queries around registrations, follow-ups and more.
• Increase manpower: The Prime Minister recently described district officials as “field commanders” in our efforts against Covid. This ambit should move beyond just the district bureaucracy to the extensive network of public services.

Conclusion: Thinking local and utilising established networks to create culturally resonant messages is the need of the hour to reduce vaccine hesitancy, bridge the digital divide and achieve vaccine saturation.