Inequality: As the COVID-19 vaccination drive accelerates across the country, it has given rise to a class divide. More individuals from wealthier classes are turning up for the vaccine than from the lower-middle classes, and the poor are mostly absent. This trend has been noticed in Mumbai, Bangalore, Pune, Delhi, and other big cities.
The reason for this divide could be because of poor access to smartphones and transportation. Recipients are required to download the Co-WIN or Aarogya Setu apps to register for the vaccination even though walk-ins are allowed in some locations.
There is also the issue of awareness. “We know there is a vaccination going on (in the country) but we do not know how to get it,” said Prem Nath, a 50-year-old daily wage earner who is a diabetic patient, to a reporter from Scroll.
Doctors in Bengaluru’s government hospitals admit that most of the vaccine recipients have been from the affluent class. According to Dr Sylvia Karpagam, a public health specialist, “online registration has always been a barrier to access. It is not an inclusive measure and discrimination is evident”.
Vaccine beneficiaries from lower income groups aren’t present at private hospitals in Delhi either. Health officials in Delhi pointed out that the absence of people from lower income groups could be because of the INR 250 fee that is charged for the vaccine. However, even in government hospitals, where the vaccine is free, their numbers remain low. “Only around 10 percent of the people seen here each day would be in the lower income group,” said Anil Kumar, nodal officer at Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital.
To ensure everyone has access to the vaccine, the government needs to create a better framework, experts told Scroll. Before devising a strategy, it was important to first understand who the drive aims to target. “Whom do you want to give it to and how are you going to give it?” asked Sulakshana Nandi of Jan Swasthya Abhiyan.
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