Only 60% willing to go for second Covid jab: Report

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Though India touched a historical milestone of $1 billion vaccine doses, the path to the next billion is filled with thorns. According to a research by Boston Consultancy Group’s (BCG) Centre of Consumer Insight (CCI) shows that only about half the population which are about 54-62% who are vaccinated with the first dose, have high willingness to take the second dose, Business Standard reported. Demand hesitancy is likely to be a major constraint, it added. Out of the 54-62%, 35% believe that one shot is sufficient enough to protect them from infection.

Vaccination cannot be mandatory

It also said that a high number of fence sitters are in urban areas and large towns, which comes to about 44% of the unvaccinated population. While the proportion of fence sitters is about 56% of the unvaccinated population among the older age groups.

There has been a decline among urban cohorts since March, the BCG report highlighted. Urban areas have more willing adopters compared to rural areas, for the second adoption.

The report showed that, states like Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Gujarat looks to have done well when it came to the second dose coverage, as of September 15. For example, from a 4% coverage in May to 14% in September.

BCG said in the report that India can become exemplar via two initiatives: targeted communications to address specific drivers of demand hesitancy and delivery innovations to touch the vulnerable parts of the country.

According to estimates from public health experts, 90 million partially vaccinated people in India are due for their second dose. The experts also said that India cannot make vaccination mandatory as it may have a backlash.