Falling Behind: How a governmental slow reaction time has disastrously impacted India’s Covid-19 vaccination efforts

by Adwik Rahematpura

Shortage has been the word on everyone’s mind in India when it comes to the Covid vaccination efforts in the country of about 1.39 billion. After what seemed to be a sprinting start in January, India’s vaccine distribution efforts have slowed down drastically.

In analyzing the potential reasons behind this drop, two major reasons stand out. The first is the government of India. Now, while many say that the government will always be accused of not doing enough for the people, and that they are doing their best, the government of India under Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been slow by any reasonable standard. They were slow to order enough doses of the vaccine early enough, and following the second wave of Covid-19 which ravaged India in April and May, they allowed almost all activities to resume as normal. As the country that prides itself on being the leader in the manufacturing of many of the Covid-19 vaccines, it is disconcerting that India is struggling to purchase enough doses. Promises were made to vaccinate all citizens but with 900 million currently eligible for the vaccine and not even a fraction of the approximately 1.8 billion doses needed available, that promise seems to be a false one. Additionally according to the BBC, India has only taken advantage of a fraction of its massive manufacturing capabilities. The government has often also been criticized for giving Indian pharmaceutical company Bharat Biotech insufficient funding, despite the fact the company produces the covaxin vaccine that is used in India. With earlier action, investment and an acknowledgment that Covid-19 was not a problem that had been “defeated,” India could have vaccinated tens of millions more in this same amount of time. However due to government negligence and indecisiveness, Modi’s administration has cost the Indian people precious and urgently needed doses of the Covid vaccine. 

The second major issue is one that is neither that is not unique to India nor the fault of the government: lack of access to the vaccine. Reports have shown a gender gap in vaccination in India, with 6.8% more men being vaccinated than women. This has been attributed to women having more limited internet access across rural areas. 65% of India’s population lives in rural areas, so spreading information about the vaccine and its importance is a challenge. It is estimated that there are 685 million unconnected people in India, about half the population of the country. With almost all information coming through the internet, unconnected people are limited to learning through word of mouth, newspaper, or other comparatively slow sources. Proximity to hospitals and vaccination locations plays into this too, as many people don’t have the means to travel to faraway locations. Many of these factors have also contributed to a massive undercounting of India’s Covid cases. Without a connection to the internet, which we place such value on, it will take months (if not years) to get many citizens of India vaccinated. In addressing both reasons why India’s vaccination efforts are struggling, there are steps the government can take to improve access and speed, but as long as the government stands by their premature declaration that Covid has been defeated, process will remain slow and the country will suffer.