Maharashtra government has decided to take the help of Bollywood actor Salman Khan in order to encourage vaccination in Muslim dominated areas after the government admitted to vaccine reluctance among the Muslim population.
As per reports, Maharashtra Public Health Minister Rajesh Tope has said that there was hesitancy about taking COVID vaccines and vaccination in Muslim majority areas. He said, ‘There is still some hesitancy in Muslim-dominated areas. We have decided to use Salman Khan and religious leaders to convince the Muslim community to take the vaccine,’ adding, ‘Religious leaders and film actors wield great influence and people listen to them.’
According to Minister Tope, more than 10.25 crore vaccine doses have been administered in Maharashtra, and by November end all eligible persons will receive at least the first dose of the vaccine. He said that while Maharashtra leads in terms of the number of vaccine shots administered, the pace of vaccination is low in some areas.
On the possibility of a third wave of COVID, Tope informed that as per the experts, the pandemic has a seven-month cycle and considering the large-scale vaccination, the next wave would be less severe. He further added that people should follow the COVID safety protocol and get vaccinated.
Vaccine hesitancy among the Muslim community is a well documented phenomenon that public health officials have had serious trouble combating. A survey earlier in the year had indicated that the community was reluctant to get vaccinated.
it’s not just Covid vaccine that is facing resistance among the community. Polio vaccines had received similar reception which made the fight against the disease more difficult.
