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2,500 healthcare workers in Meghalaya opted to not get Covid vaccine: Minister
Meghalaya health minister James PK Sangma said there were multiple reasons why some health workers decided against the Covid-19 vaccine.
SHILLONG: There are 2,505 healthcare workers in Meghalaya, mostly working in government health facilities, who have chosen not to be vaccinated against the coronavirus disease, state health minister James PK Sangma told the Meghalaya assembly on Tuesday.
The total number of unvaccinated heath care workers in government hospitals is 2,456 while in private hospitals, only 49 have opted not get to get the Covid-19 vaccination, Sangma said.
Citing a report by the Indian Institute of Public Health (IIPH)-Shillong, the minister said there were multiple reasons why some health workers had decided against the Covid-19 vaccine.
The reasons why people haven’t got themselves the two vaccine doses - health workers are entitled to get a third booster dose also - include concern about possible side effects of the vaccines, indecision over the vaccine brand, belief that their natural immunity is sufficient or that they have developed immunity against the virus and even fear of injection, he said.
Sangma said the government is making all out efforts to counsel the healthcare workers and create awareness.
Trinamool Congress lawmaker Himalaya Shangpliang wondered what kind of message the government is sending when doctors and nurses themselves are not taking the vaccines.
The minister said intensive counselling of the health workers had helped reduce the number of people who haven’t taken the vaccine. “70-80% people who were earlier hesitant to take vaccine, have now come forward (for vaccination),” he stated.
The health minister said counselling was conducted in the month of May and June last year and now less than 1% of doctors are yet to take the vaccine, he said.
