Allergies, fear, mistrust add to vaccine hesitancy

Efforts on to trace and vaccinate those reluctant to take jab

From food allergies and fear of injections (trypanophobia) to anxiety and medical mistrust, a range of factors have contributed to vaccine hesitancy in Kerala, say health officials.

While some districts have crossed the 90% vaccination milestone, some others lag behind with a sizeable portion still reluctant to take the first jab.

“When asked, most people said they were worried about possible side-effects such as blood clots while some others expressed their apprehensions about the efficiency of the vaccine. Those have missed out will be traced through various methods and we plan to vaccinate the entire eligible population within September 30,” said an official.