Faith leaders tell Govt to act against spread of wrong information about COVID-19 vaccine

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaJuly 12, 2021

Leaders of different faiths have asked the state government to come down heavily against faith leaders, media and others who are indulging in spreading wrong information about the COVID-19 vaccine.

The suggestion was made during a meeting convened by the Chief Secretary MS Rao at the main secretariat here on Monday, to discuss the problem of hesitancy relating to the vaccination.

 According to a health official, the state is witnessing a high level of hesitancy in districts like South Garo Hills, North Garo Hills and East Garo Hills.

70 percent of the people in Shillong have been vaccinated. East Khasi Hills and two other districts West Garo Hills and South West Garo Hills have done exceptionally well when it comes to the vaccination coverage.

After the meeting, Director of Health Services (MI) Dr Aman War said, “They have suggested that the government should come down heavily on the faith leaders who are propagating wrong information about the vaccine.”

He said faith leaders have expressed concerns with regard to the ill effects of wrong information being circulated through various mediums and suggested the need to take action against media who are spreading the misinformation.

Dr War informed that the leaders of various faiths have expressed their willingness to give their hand of cooperation to enlighten the public on the benefits of vaccination.

“All the faith leaders who are present virtually and physically are in agreement that the vaccination is the only one good thing which can combat against the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic,” he said

“Apart from the three cardinal instructions which we have given, vaccination is the key and they also have expressed the same,” he added.

The Director further informed that the faith leaders had expressed that they can reach out to their people only if the government allows re-opening of the places of worship adding “The government will accordingly take a call on this matter.”

If similar action would be taken against MLAs who are against COVID-19 vaccination, Dr War however said, “…that will come from a different forum but now we are talking only about the faith leaders.”

Asked, the Director said with the helping hand and cooperation of the leaders of various faiths across the state, the government is confident that the fear of misinformation propagated against vaccination that enlightenment will come from the people of God.

“We are also confident that with the increased number of people coming forward for vaccination, protection will be for the vaccinated, protection will also be for the people, who we cannot vaccinate, and that is the children,” he said.

Stating that the more people come out for vaccination, the more it will protect the young ones, Dr War said the decision and responsibility rest on each and every household.

“We as doctors, we have seen with our own eyes, communication has been provided to us of how a person who contracted the virus and who has not been vaccinated, if the course of the disease takes for the worst, then the outcome is always very sad. The pain, the sorrow and the suffering of such people cannot be expressed in words. While the people who have been vaccinated, although they may contract the virus, the course of the disease we have seen is such that they come out of it,” he said.

Dr War further stated that it is high time for people to think of the elderly and the children in the house “so that we are prepared that when a new virus comes at least we know we have taken that protection and we know how to chart the course of the disease.”

“We are very thankful to all the leaders of different faiths for their concerns and for their meaningful advice and we are sure that from here forward from today we will see better days and provide necessary respite to our health workers in the field because to a health worker, the more people are vaccinated, the more you relieve them of their apprehension,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Director also appealed to the media not to publish wrong information about the COVID-19 vaccination. Allow the wrong information to die a natural death, he added.