Vaccine hesitancy, false records mar \'Har Ghar Dastak\' vaccination drive

HYDERABAD: Amidst the ongoing ‘Har Ghar Dastak’ Covid vaccination drive launched by the Central government under which healthcare workers like ASHA in all states visit door-to-door to vaccinate the eligible, vaccine hesitancy and fake certificates seem to proliferate in the city. People are receiving their fully vaccinated certificates even when they are yet to take their second dose. 

N. Sandhya Rani, an ASHA worker at the special vaccination drive for the Cantonment area says, “It is very difficult to assess who are actually vaccinated and who are not, because people are using their falsely generated fully vaccinated certificates in the COWIN website and skipping their second dose.”

Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, several residents in the city said that they had received their vaccination certificates without even getting vaccinated. They are also reportedly being asked to wait for longer durations at the centre and sometimes even sent back due to unavailability of vaccines. Some respondents claim to have gotten a partial vaccination certificate even after receiving the second dose. 

“I am not vaccinated, yet I received my full vaccination certificate. I waited for several hours on my due date but was later sent back saying they had run out of stocks. However, within a few minutes I was shocked to receive a message saying I had been fully vaccinated and I got the certificate as well. I had a flight to catch two days later for which I wanted to get myself vaccinated as it needed a fully vaccinated certificate. I had to use this one even though I wasn’t vaccinated and I wonder if other people also have done the same,” said Mehul Rai, 26, pharmacist  (name changed).

A 20-year-old-girl also faced similar issues like Mehul Rai and used her fake certificate to register herself for a university hostel. “I could not be present for my second dose because of a medical emergency. However, on my scheduled date I received a message which said I was fully vaccinated. Unfortunately, I had to submit my vaccination certificate in order to register myself at the hostel. So I used it even though I wasn’t vaccinated then,” said Pranjal Sharma, student (name changed).

On the other hand, those who had taken their doses on the stipulated days received a partial vaccination certificate twice. “I was denied entry to a temple for which I travelled for two days. Even though I am fully vaccinated, the certificate shows I am vaccinated for only the 1st dose, I request the government to help us clear such a mess,” said Jayesh S., 60, a businessman.

Door- to-door surveys were conducted in the Cantonment area for over 13 days. Sandhya Rani said many people did not even allow her and her team to do the survey and just kept fighting. “Many people are not vaccinated so far and are happily roaming without a mask claiming to be fully vaccinated. The old age group of 70 to 80 years say they have to die any day so there is no need to take the vaccination.”