Vaccine hesitancy in villages gives a hard time for health staff
The Hindu
Some people, especially farmers, expressed fears of side effects: officials
Health workers in Chittoor district are having a tough time in vaccinating the population in rural pockets as some, particularly women farmers and farm workers, are hesitant to take the COVID-19 jab. According to officials, the first dose of COVID vaccine was administered to more than 95% of the targeted age group of above 45 in the district. The remaining 5% is reportedly unwilling to take the vaccine for “unclear reasons”, which some perceive as “fear of side-effects.” With reports of the third wave rearing its head around September coming in and with many in the elderly age group yet to receive their first dose of the vaccine, the health staff in the district is a worried lot.A crowd comprising farmers, researchers, professors, students, and horticulture enthusiasts thronged the ICAR-Indian Institute of Horticultural Research (IIHR), Hesaraghatta, Bengaluru, on Friday for the inaugural ceremony of the Triphal Diversity Show which showcased 300 mango, 100 jackfruit, and 100 banana genotypes in collaboration with ICAR-National Research Centre for Banana, Tiruchirappalli.
The State government on Friday constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT), headed by Additional Director-General of Police, Manish Kharbikar of the Economic Offences division of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to probe the alleged multi-crore scam in the government-run Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation.