A strong perception that one has to avoid liquor for a few days before and after vaccination against COVID-19 is contributing to vaccine hesitancy among a section of the adivasis in Mysuru district.
Local NGOs who are working for tribal development said that this was also one of the reasons why the vaccination coverage had not gained momentum in the tribal hamlets in parts of Hunsur and H.D. Kote where the tribal population is high.
This is emerging as a major challenge in the campaign to create awareness among tribals of the benefits of getting vaccinated, said G.S. Kumar, CEO, Swami Vivekananda Youth Movement, an NGO based out of Saragur and H.D. Kote and engaged in various activities related to tribal upliftment.
Mr. Kumar said there are no guidelines on the issue and hence there was resistance from not only the tribal community but from those who drink regularly.
On the question of whether one should avoid alcohol after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, in its FAQ says: As per experts, there is no evidence of alcohol impairing the effectiveness of the vaccine.
S. Sreekanth of Development through Education (DEED) in Hunsur said almost every adivasi male above 20 years who goes out for work consumes liquor, and alcoholism was a menace in the community which the NGO was trying to eradicate.
“There is awareness of COVID-19 and the availability of ‘injection’ (the local moniker for vaccine). “But somehow the word has spread of the need to abstain from consuming alcohol before and after taking the jab and hence many are avoiding it’’, said Mr. Sreekanth. As a result the coverage in the tribal hamlets in the district was low, he added.
M.B. Prabhu, a tribal activist from Veeranahosahalli, said the district administration is in a dicey situation because it has to motivate the tribals to take the jab; but at the same time it has to strike a balancing act and cannot be seen as endorsing alcohol in their attempts to clear misgivings over the vaccine’s efficacy after consuming liquor. There are nearly 45000 tribals in Mysuru district and about 60 per cent of them are eligible to receive the vaccine against which the coverage is hardly 5 per cent to 10 per cent, Mr. Prabhu added.
Meanwhile, in the neighbouring Chamarajanagar district the authorities say the local hesitancy is from a combination of factors. M.R..Ravi, Deputy Commissioner, said only persons from a tribal hamlet in BR Hills had tested positive and hence they question the need to vaccine everybody. Also, the forest dwelling tribes are averse to any injection – not just vaccination – though they are not averse to taking tablets or syrup and tonics, said Mr. Ravi. And this is being addressed through counselling and creating awareness.
The district administration in Chamarajanagar has launched an outreach programme to cover the tribal hamlets and has established vaccination centres at Ashrama Schools. So far about 5,000 tribals have been vaccinated and efforts are on to increase the coverage.
