There has been a furor in India over the ruling Bharatiya Janta Party’s election promise to provide free Covid-19 vaccine to the people of Bihar. But the fact is that many Indians are not really waiting eagerly for a vaccine.
Over 60% of Indians are sceptical about a vaccine for Covid-19 even if it becomes available in 2021, according to a recent survey by community social media engagement platform LocalCircles.
Just 12% of respondents said they were willing to get vaccinated and return to their pre-Covid-19 lifestyles.
Covid-19 cases have been rising in India. The country is now the second-worst affected in the world with 7.70 million cases.
Coronavirus hurting mental health
The raging pandemic is playing havoc with the mental health of Indians.
Eight months after the pandemic first broke out in India, nearly a third of the respondents in the survey said they were “anxious or worried.” Another 13% said they were “depressed.”