India's vaccination drive has been increasing pace in the last few days which has been administering over 60 lakh vaccine doses on a regular basis. Even after the full-fledged vaccination drive, India faces a new challenge of gender-balance vaccination procedures. Till now, 54 percent of men have been vaccinated compared to 46 percent in the women category. Speaking on the populace index, India accounts for only 5 percent more men than women. The gender gap is highest in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh.
Misinformation is a huge barrier in India. Saroj Gupta, 40, lives in a one-room accommodation at a slum in Delhi. Her husband works as a security guard and the couple has four children.
"I am scared because a lot of people get pneumonia, fever, or face a lack of oxygen post-vaccination. I fear that if something happens to me, who will take care of my four children? I don't want to get vaccinated," Saroj. Asked whether any government official or Asha worker came to her house to tell her about the vaccine, Saroj said, "Nobody came."
Only four states are vaccinating more or equal women -- Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Chhattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh.
Dr. VK Paul, chairperson of the National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration for Covid-19 (NEGVAC) admitted the issue this week and said, "The gender imbalance needs to be corrected in the days ahead. Where this imbalance exists, it has to be addressed and we have to make it easier for women to access vaccines and this is a lesson for the future."
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