India’s Vaccinators, Telangana: ‘I tell them I am moving around freely as I am fully vaccinated’ 

She says she is surprised by the objections and excuses given by people while refusing the vaccine. “It is an urban area but many residents still believe in rumours and hearsay that taking the vaccine will make them fall ill. If one or two persons who took the vaccine get fever or body ache, that gets amplified and the news spreads everywhere and everyone turns against the vaccine,” she said.

So, how does she convince people to finally take the jab? “First, I try to dispel the myths, and tell them that falling ill after taking the vaccine is rare. Then I tell them that health workers are able to move around freely to give vaccines because we ourselves are fully vaccinated, and it gives good protection against the Covid-19. Then I also inform them that a third wave of Covid-19 is predicted and it can be very deadly for people who are not vaccinated, and it can have serious consequences on their health if they are not fortified with the vaccine. We have managed to convince many with these explanations,” she says. Ever since Lalitha and her team started vaccinating in May, they have managed to vaccinate approximately 800 out of 1,000 people in her jurisdiction.

She says the most common refrain from several men for not taking the vaccine is that they won’t be able to “drink and eat” for several days after taking the vaccine.