Getting vaccinated against Covid-19 – Access Issues and Discrimination

Through analysis of the state-wise COVID data from June 21, RAVI DUGGAL demonstrates that non-BJP-ruled states were discriminated against in vaccine supplies in relation to BJP-ruled states. Then, through his personal experience of getting vaccinated on June 21, he illustrates how complicated the vaccination process is, and why it may be excluding the poor and the digitally challenged.

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June 21 is a significant day. It marks the summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere and winter solstice in the Southern Hemisphere. It is now also the International Yoga Day. But this year, it became even more significant: on June 21, India administered COVID vaccines to nearly 8.1 million people across the country, making it the highest number vaccinated on a single day since the onset of our COVID vaccination drive. I, too, got my first jab of the Covishield vaccine on this day.

The Press Information Bureau released vaccination data for June 21 for all states at 9 pm. This is certainly a noteworthy achievement, but can it be sustained given the current production rate for the vaccines and supply chain issues? For instance, on June 22, the total vaccines administered dropped drastically to 5.2 million jabs, and only a week later, the vaccination rate dropped by 68 percent.