"TERGIVERSATING": THE CURIOUS CASE OF VACCINE HESITANCY

The Story So Far...

What is happening all around us today would have been unthinkable last year when the COVID virus had just announced its unfortunate arrival on the world stage. Barely 16 months ago we were all joint in our prayers to God almighty (and the Scientist fraternity) to deliver us from this calamitous situation. We were all fervently praying for a quick and effective solution to COVID-19 (i.e. a vaccine) that would help us get on with our lives as hithertofore. But now that the vaccine is here and waiting, we have a large section of the world population (India being no exception) wondering whether they should "take the plunge" (or "take the jab" as most people have colloquially started referring to vaccination).

What changed the world from actively seeking a vaccine (any vaccine !!) to vehemently refusing the vaccine and exhibiting a classic textbook case of Vaccine Hesitancy? If sought in a poll, the results will be no surprise, and would probably be along the continuum of Vaccine Acceptance / Hesitance exhibited below - nearly 90% of the times.

The seemingly futile and senseless activism around the simple decision to protect oneself from a dreaded disease seems absolutely pedantic and unreasonable to any sane human being. On one hand, we have the scientific community burning the midnight oil on the world stage to find more and more solutions to the gargantuan problem facing humanity, and on the other, we have hordes of citizens crying themselves hoarse about unsubstantiated conspiracy theories and needlessly fanning the ill-founded activism of vaccine hesitancy. This is so surprising when one views the graphic, presented below, exhibiting the number of vaccine solutions under development.

Closer Home...

It really seems like so far back in time that we existed normally. Dressed up to go to work or socialise, met and entertained our friends, went out to have a meal at the local eatery (Dhaba), splurged on essential and inessential items in a crowded mall, used public transport without a care in the world and once in a while even went vacationing to near or faraway places. The unprecedented emergence of the scourge of COVID has turned everything in our lives topsy turvy. All the seemingly innocuous aforementioned acts, which all of us performed without giving them a second thought; are now things that entail hours of heated debate. This is evident in my home when my children - Abhimanyu & Arundhati - insist on "going out - to meet friends" once in a while. Even though they have both received one dose each of the vaccine, while all the others at home stand vaccinated with both doses, Ranju, my wife - keeps stressing over this unnecessary avoidable exposure.

My Faith in the Vaccine

The fact that I never ever believe in the conspiracy theories doing the rounds on social media, is known to most of my friends and family. The small anecdote narrated below allows me (and the reader) to take a look back in time. It also proves to be a sort of a reaffirmation of the faith that we must all repose in the concept of vaccination in general and in the efficacy of the specific vaccines currently available in the system. It will further reassert to the readers, my unshakeable faith in vaccination being the only measure - available today - to protect oneself, and in turn also those around us, from this dreaded disease.

The First Dose

My first dose of vaccination on 04 Feb 21 (courtesy of my friend Praveen Mishra) was a copybook example of how a citizen of the country can easily get vaccinated. As an integral part of the Front Line Workers (FLWs) I institutionally registered for the vaccination and soon thereafter I received the mandatory SMS identifying the date and location for the vaccination. I walked up to the session site established at Balrampur Hospital, Lucknow - identified myself at the Reception with my government ID, the well-oiled nascent system kicked in and within no time my first-dose vaccination was done.

The Second Dose

I was fortunate to be amongst the first few to be vaccinated and accordingly, as per the protocol in vogue at that time, my second dose was scheduled 28 days after the first dose - which was 04 Mar 2021. The manner in which I managed to get my second dose of vaccination is what I especially wish to share.

A few of my readers might recall that 04 Mar 2021 was a particularly sordid day in my life with a stream of unhappy events taking me on a roller coaster ride through the day. The events have been written about in an earlier article titled "0" HOUR.."100" MINUTES..."100" HOURS...."100" DAYS.....: THE STORY SO FAR ! - however, a brief enumeration is presented hereunder -

• Due to a sudden unexpected downturn in my father's health at 6:00 am on 04 Mar 2021 morning, I found myself standing outside the Operation Theatre of the Command Hospital, Lucknow while my father underwent major surgery for a malignant blood clot in the brain.
• The fragile mental and physical state of my octogenarian mother - Reva Bhatia - who was with me in the Command Hospital, Lucknow and obviously needed constant monitoring/reassurance.
• If both these weren't enough to test me simultaneously on one day - another major family crisis came my way, like greased lightning. On the very same day (04 Mar 2021) at 9:00 am, my daughter Arundhati - while appearing for her JAG SSB selection process at Bangalore, suffered a serious debilitating fracture on her left foot and was hospitalised in Command Hospital, Bangalore - pending a decision on when and where the essential major surgery would be performed.

The disturbed mental state of any person, while he battles three demons and tries to find workable solutions to them needs no elaboration. Frankly, I was no different. However, it was probably my regimental training and experience of over three decades as a defence officer, which kicked in. That innate crisis management capability probably allowed me to compartmentalize these three dilemmas overcrowding my troubled mind - seeking unattainable solutions due to their competing priorities.

Over and above this, was the nagging reminder at the back of my mind - constantly nudging me of the due date - 04 Mar 2021 - of my second dose of vaccination. Many would argue that with so many other obviously more pressing matters, this ought not to have been a factor to be considered at all; but having been a stickler for schedules and routines, not adhering to an appointment went against my basic innate ethos.

So, I requested my friend Prof (Dr) Mohd Parvez Khan, King George Medical University, Lucknow (who had driven up to the Command Hospital, Lucknow in my wake) to take my mother home since it was infructuous for her to stay any longer in the Hospital. Thereafter, I walked up to the COVID vaccination session site in the Command Hospital, Lucknow - explained my predicament, presented my credentials of being an FLW who had already taken the first dose of the vaccine and requested for my second dose. The Officer Incharge (OIC) and the Doctor on-site comprehended my quandary and administered the second dose to me.

The Intent of Sharing...

The aforementioned anecdote seems like a facile simplistic tale to pen down for consumption by the erudite readers. The basic intent with which I narrated this story was to target that lot amongst my readers/friends/relatives/colleagues (for that matter anyone else) who are still tergiversating and adopting a fence-sitting attitude with respect to the issue of getting vaccinated. The benefits of getting vaccinated need no further elaboration - since the statistics are grossly in favour of getting the vaccination (any vaccine) since that is currently the only sure shot method of being able to prevent contracting COVID. Statistics have clearly shown that the percentage of breakthrough infections in those who received either of the two vaccines currently available in India lies in the infinitesimally small range between 0.07 to 0.13 per cent.

There could be no better proof than this to drop everything one is doing, register on the COWIN app and as per the scheduled slot head out to the nearest session site to get vaccinated - NOW.

Finally, I leave my detractors (who might accuse me of acting in a selfish and heartless manner to go get myself vaccinated, while my father fought for his life in the Operation Theatre), with this quote by Elon Musk -