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Op-ED DECEMBER 10, 2021 | The Indian Eye 14

Vaccine inequity, new variant

and religious issues

Views and opinions from the top commentators in Indian media

lobal costs of leaving Africa to fend for between public health and individual freedoms.
itself despite plentiful vaccine supply are Governments and public health experts have ar-
Gadding up as the Omicron variant revers- gued since the beginning of the pandemic that
es the recovery in air travel. Rich nations and top masks, vaccines and restrictions on movement are
vaccine producers like India will rue their disre- vital tools to control the spread of Covid-19. Crit-
gard of the WHO’s fervent pleas for vaccine eq- ics have alleged that rules limiting their movement,
uity. Against the global average of 43% people forcing them to wear masks or requiring them to
fully vaccinated, the African CDC reports that take vaccines represent a violation of their free-
the continent has just 6.7% of the population fully dom of choice. While democracies must remain
vaccinated and 9.9%, partially. With a large un- wary of government overreach in general, there is
vaccinated pool, a potent mutant strain has unsur- a decisive difference between the two sides in this
prisingly emerged from here. debate: science. There is ample evidence that vac-
A massive effort to accelerate vaccination in cines work effectively, with very infrequent side
Africa – where adult population is 700 million – effects. It is also established that unvaccinated
must start. The Delta variant that swamped India people pose a greater danger to others, as carriers,
in April-June took five months from detection than those who have taken the shot. When one
to create a tidal wave. If Omicron is more conta- person’s ‘freedom’ adversely impacts the health
gious, time is running short. And some countries of others, individual rights must stand second to
must step up quickly. The US has 110 million collective good.
unused doses and EU 200 million doses, even ac- -- Editorial, The Telegraph (India)
counting for booster shots. India has 250 million
doses with states. However, India’s supplies to Af- cHUrcH Under tHreat?
rica will be constrained by the fact that only 32%
of its population is fully vaccinated and boosters here is considerable evidence since 1990 on
and children’s jabs haven’t started as yet. The US how hate campaigns targeting and demon-
reportedly destroyed at least 15 million doses be- Tizing religious minorities have led to indi-
tween March-September. Its trade curbs on key vidual and mass violence.
raw materials had also dented vax production. In For Christians, the example of Kandhamal in
many ways, US has been the worst offender. Odisha is more than enough. The first anti-con-
-- Editorial, The Times of India Passengers maintain COVID-19 protocols version law was passed in Odisha in 1967. The at-
at Lucknow airport as the State government decided to inten- tacks on Christians began from the ‘70s onwards,
culminating in the Kandhamal genocide in 2007
teSt and trace sify surveillance following the precautionary measures of a and 2008. The law gave a justification for the at-
arly reports from South Africa do indicate new variant ‘Omicron’ (ANI) tacks on the Christians.
that though highly transmissible, Omi- Justice AP Shah, who chaired the 2021 Kand-
Ecron’s symptoms are relatively mild but counterparts in South Africa — and other parts hamal Day observances, noted, “Scores of people
this is early days and the guard cannot be lowered. of the world where Omicron has found its way — were killed, hundreds of villages were ransacked,
The knowledge on whether those infected with with respect to genome tracing. thousands of houses were looted and burnt.
the new variant had comorbidities or age-related -- Editorial, The Indian Express Overnight, over 75,000 people became home-
infirmities is scanty. There is anecdotal evidence less. Mainly one community bore the brunt of all
of breakthrough infections caused by Omicron. JaB reSiStance this violence, as those who lost their homes, vil-
But even Delta has shown that it can infect the lages and belongings were predominantly Chris-
vaccinated — though in such cases, it rarely be- hese agitations against Covid-19 restric- tian. Churches, schools, colleges, philanthropic
comes virulent. December 2021 is a distance from tions and vaccine mandates are not entirely institutions, even leprosy homes and TB sanato-
March 2020 — close to 50 per cent of the adult Tspontaneous eruptions of anger. In Austria, riums were destroyed and looted. Schooling and
population in the country has received both shots far-right groups, such as the Freedom Party and education came to a standstill, dozens of women
of the vaccine and serosurveys have indicated that Identitarians, have been prominent in the recent were raped and molested. And many were also
a high proportion of Indians have already been protests. In Belgium, members of parliament forced to renounce Christianity, and/or reconvert
exposed to the virus. The extent of immunity this from the ultra-conservative Vlaams Belang party to Hinduism.”
will confer against the new variant isn’t known. have joined anti-vaccine protests. Fringe groups -- John Dayal, The Quint
So, while authorities have done well to bolster and smaller parties are not the only outfits that
surveillance at airports, they must also make sure have given the anti-vaccine movement its momen- Every week, we look at what the top commentators in
that there is no let-up in the general levels of test- tum. In the United States of America, mainstream the Indian media are talking about and bring to you
ing and contact tracing. Covid control authorities Republicans have steadfastly opposed vaccine a slice of their opinions and comments
in India would, therefore, do well to emulate their mandates. At the heart of this tussle is the tension

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