Policy Framework for Vaccinating All

Abstract

The government has started vaccination against coronavirus for citizens aged 18 and above with a walk-in facility for all aged 30 and above. Despite easy access and free vaccination, the citizens are reluctant to vaccinate themselves. As of May 31, 2021, only 3 million citizens are partially vaccinated, and around 1.5 million are fully vaccinated across the country[1] against 137 million eligible citizens (aged 18 and above) (Nayab, 2021).

These statistics show that a significant number of people are unwilling to get vaccinated. This alludes to the fact, substantiated by several surveys, that many people are afraid of taking the vaccine dose because of proliferating rumours and misconceptions regarding the nature of the vaccine. The acceptance rate to vaccinate is very low, especially among people living in rural areas and low-income families. About 90 percent of households are not interested in registering for vaccination in rural areas; the ratio is high among females compared to males and among poor households than rich (Gull, 2021). As more than 60 percent of the population lives in rural areas, a significant fraction of the population is not inclined to vaccinate themselves. The failure to fully vaccinate all citizens may cause long-term health deprivations. Health deprivation has broader impacts on development and leads to a substantial economic burden (Butt et al., 2020).