The government has moved to dispel doubts that Covid-19 vaccines were connected with reduced fertility in men and women, and released a three-point rebuttal to all such claims. The Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting tweeted that there was no evidence that vaccine doses caused infertility.
It also said that the vaccines and their constituents were first tested on animals and then on humans to assess their likely side-effects before being approved for wider use. The government, which recently approved the vaccine for lactating and pregnant women, said the move was approved by the National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration.
Reports of vaccine hesitancy have come to the fore in recent weeks, with people, especially those in the reproductive age and lactating women, expressing concern over the jabs. Although the government has detailed the minor side-effects that can be seen in pregnant women post the vaccination, the hesitancy remains. As India aims to vaccinate its entire population against Covid-19 by the end of this year, vaccine hesitancy and myth surrounding the doses, especially in rural areas, have emerged as a major challenge for the government.
In a recent Mann ki Baat message, Prime Minister Narendra Modi referred to the hesitancy among certain sections and, warning them of the threat posed by Covid-19, urged them to get vaccinated. Modi spoke to residents of Dulariya village in Madhya Pradesh’s Betul district and told them to get vaccinated as they voiced their apprehension over the exercise. Modi said that both he as well as his mother, who was nearly 100 years old, had taken both the vaccine doses. He added that instead of believing rumours, people should trust scientists and science. Modi reminded everyone of the threat posed by Covid-19 and added that they had had to focus on vaccination and also Covid-19 protocols.
