DNA Exclusive: COVID-19, vaccine rumours, and lessons from AMU for anti-vaxxers

New Delhi: There is a virus other than coronavirus which is infecting many people in the country and that is the virus of rumour. A lot of misinformation and fake news has spread about COVID-19 vaccines which have led to vaccine hesitancy among people. This was quite evident in what happened at the Aligarh Muslim University.

Zee News Anchor Aditi Tyagi on Wednesday (May 19) discussed how the virus has ravaged through AMU leaving many faculty members dead and how the rumours surrounding vaccines has negatively impacted the drive in the city.

AMU has been strongly impacted by the virus and so far many professors, retired professors and other staff members have died due to it.

In the last 20 days, 19 professors of the university have passed away. The situation is grim even though the facilities for testing and vaccination are available.

There is a rumour circulating among the staff that people are dying due to the vaccine. It is being said that the second wave of the pandemic occurred due to mass vaccinations. It is for this reason that even educated professors are afraid of getting vaccinated. And because of this, many have refused to get vaccinated in the university.

But now we have come to know that even those who did not get the vaccine died of coronavirus.

If only they had got themselves inoculated, their lives would have been saved as the vaccine would have offered them protection.

The situation is so worrying that many people in Aligarh are trying to avoid getting vaccinated. Because of the lack of enthusiasm for vaccines, the number of vaccination centres in the district has also been reduced.

There are primarily three rumours circulating:

1. People die a few days after getting vaccinated: This is far from the truth. The vaccine provides protection against the virus. It generates antibodies in the body to fight against the virus.

2. Vaccines leads to infertility: This claim is false and there is no scientific evidence to support it.

3. People get infected after getting vaccinated: This claim is also false. Getting the vaccine reduces the chances of getting infected.

The three rumours have made the work of coronavirus much easier as a lot of people are shying away from getting inoculated.

It is, therefore, very important that people protect themselves from these rumours as much as they should protect themselves from coronavirus.

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