People from numerous marginalised communities in Tamil Nadu have long dodged the vaccination by hiding in forests or claiming they ‘don’t need’ the Covid-19 shot. Despite a decrease in Covid-19 infections in 2022 compared to the previous two years, vaccine hesitancy has been strong in this population. The residents of these communities were reluctant to receive vaccinations due to their fears of illness, mortality, ignorance of the shots, and misinformation.
Project MOMENTUM, funded by USAID and carried out by John Snow India Pvt. Ltd. (JSI), was designed to assist the Indian government in immunising members of a number of marginalised communities throughout 18 states. Workers from ASHA and Anganwadi were already contributing, but the government required more hands to reach out to these communities and address their reluctance to receive vaccinations.
Choosing a festival
The Project wants to make sure that no one hesitates when receiving their vaccinations. We had a great chance to educate transgender people at the Koothandavar temple festival in April. We forced transgender people to speak about the advantages of vaccinations in front of people who are familiar with them. In Kallakurichi, it began putting this into practise in February.
The transgender-centered Koovagam festival, which is celebrated annually in April or May at the Koothandavar temple in the same-named village, is a well-known feature of Kallkurichi. According to project authorities, the transgender population was wary mostly because they were accustomed to drinking beer during the event and were also taking hormone medications. 15 days prior to the mega festival, the project’s administrators contacted them and described how they planned to carry out the immunisation programme.
For the purpose of presenting Covid-19 awareness messages, a sizable LED screen was set up at the festival. Up until June, thousands of people, including gipsies, transgender people, members of nomadic tribes, people with impairments, etc., were vaccinated, according to District Project officer Kabilan. Up to 25,552 persons have received vaccinations in Kallakurichi. Nine blocks in the district are currently implementing the project. The vaccination of gipsies, transsexual people, members of nomadic tribes, people with impairments, etc. A transsexual woman named Ambika, 40, who had been coming to Koovagam for over three decades, claimed to be fully immunised.
Influencing the influencers
The southern Indian city of Samathuvapuram’s gipsies are to be immunised as part of the Narikuravar project. There are about 70 gypsy families in the region, and they market jewellery such beaded necklaces and earrings. Some of them have degrees, while others have enrolled in programmes to learn tattooing. The project’s Saraswathi claimed that when she first moved to the neighbourhood, she was shunned but was ultimately successful in persuading them of the advantages of immunisation.
Radha, 48, who was raised at the colony, said she was initially hesitant about getting vaccinated. Radha and Latha, 58, said they didn’t experience any fever or body pain as was speculated by others. ‘We heard that actor Vivek also died after taking the vaccine so we thought if this is the situation for people who have money what will be our situation?’ asked Radha.
Visual aids and plays
The tribal community of Kalvarayan Hills in southern India was first hesitant to receive the Covid-19 immunisation. People above the age of 60 informed them that there was no need to get immunised because they would only survive for a little time more. Officials of the project succeeded in persuading important villagers’ decision-makers to vaccinate others.
One of the major figures in Melvazhapadi, Velli Kannan, 47, claimed that when he recently travelled to Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, officials at the station requested his Covid-19 immunisation records. Project MOMENTUM assisted in his vaccination, so he was able to travel without being stopped. About 500 people are present, and practically all of them have had their first and second doses of vaccinations.
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