VP asks media to launch health awareness campaigns
Though vaccination has become a norm today, it was little short of being a taboo when the Chinese virus first struck India
Vice-President M. Venkaiah Naidu
Vice-President, M. Venkaiah Naidu urged various media organizations to play a “pro-active” role and launch awareness campaigns on health issues so that the message reaches the masses and addresses issues like vaccine hesitancy.
Naidu said, “Vaccination plays an important role in preventing many life-threatening diseases. Therefore, the focus should be on creating public awareness on the benefits of vaccines, especially in rural areas.”
Recently, Naidu had highlighted the trend of increasing Non-Communicable Diseases in India, which account for around 60% of deaths in the country. He had urged health experts and cultural icons to create awareness on these “lifestyle diseases”.
It is important to recall that when India first rolled out its Covid (Chinese virus 2019) vaccines, there were doubts about the efficacy and the need to get vaccinated from several sections of the society, including prominent media, despite the surge in Covid cases and deaths. Some media made it worse by reporting on overcrowded crematoriums and how even dead bodies were abandoned by family for fear of infection.
Covaxin, an India-made vaccine, had to struggle to be accepted in other countries partly due to negative reporting. It was only when Covid vaccination was provided free of cost and became a mass movement did people from all sections come out in support.
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