Chekala Lalitha, 35, ASHA worker, Ranga Reddy district
Chekala Lalitha, one among the numerous Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) workers who form the backbone of the vaccination drive in Telangana, goes door to door at Shadnagar in Ranga Reddy district, on the outskirts of Hyderabad. She says vaccination is a unique challenge because Shadnagar is a well-developed urban area but only a few residents step out to get vaccinated.
Dressed in a white cotton saree, Lalitha along with a nurse mostly has to coax residents to take the Covid-19 vaccine. “The first response when I am at anyone’s door is that they do not want to take the vaccine. They say they have heard that a person taking the vaccine falls sick or develops high fever for several days or the injection causes body aches. With some of the residents, no amount of convincing works,” she says.
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.
Sreenivas Janyala is a Deputy Associate Editor at The Indian Express, where he serves as one of the most authoritative voices on the socio-political and economic landscape of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. With a career spanning over two decades in mainstream journalism, he provides deep-dive analysis and frontline reporting on the intricate dynamics of South Indian governance.
Expertise and Experience
Regional Specialization: Based in Hyderabad, Sreenivas has spent more than 20 years documenting the evolution of the Telugu-speaking states. His reporting was foundational during the historic Telangana statehood movement and continues to track the post-bifurcation development of both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.
Key Coverage Beats: His extensive portfolio covers a vast spectrum of critical issues:
High-Stakes Politics: Comprehensive tracking of regional powerhouses (BRS, TDP, YSRCP, and Congress), electoral shifts, and the political careers of figures like K. Chandrashekar Rao, Chandrababu Naidu, and Jagan Mohan Reddy.
Internal Security & Conflict: Authoritative reporting on Left-Wing Extremism (LWE), the decline of the Maoist movement in former hotbeds, and intelligence-led investigations into regional security modules.
Governance & Infrastructure: Detailed analysis of massive irrigation projects (like Kaleshwaram and Polavaram), capital city developments (Amaravati), and the implementation of state welfare schemes.
Crisis & Health Reporting: Led the publication's ground-level coverage of the Covid-19 pandemic in South India and major industrial incidents, such as the Vizag gas leak.
Analytical Depth: Beyond daily news, Sreenivas is known for his "Explained" pieces that demystify complex regional disputes, such as river water sharing and judicial allocations between the sister states. ... Read More
