64% Indians Avoiding Covid Booster Due To Heart Attack Fears: Report

New Delhi: Even as India gears up to tackle concerns over the fresh Covid wave following a surge of the infection in China, a survey revealed that over six in 10 Indians (64 per cent) are reluctant to take the Covid booster dose. According to the report, rising cases of heart attacks in young people have largely contributed to this hesitancy.

While 53 per cent of those surveyed have not taken booster shots and don’t plan to take them, 9 per cent have still not taken any Covid vaccine shots and don’t plan to do so.

The survey undertaken by a social community engagement platform, LocalCircles found that around 2 per cent are yet to decide on whether to take the booster shot or not.

The news from China of a new Covid variant surging and causing havoc has made citizens and authorities anxious. The dominant Omicron sub-variant currently spreading across China is BF.7.

“It appears from the outcome that while 28 per cent have taken the precaution of getting the vaccination as also the booster shot and 8 per cent are likely to do so in the next 30 days, there is a sizeable 64 per cent of respondents who are currently reluctant to take the booster or precaution dose,” said the findings.

The latest survey received over 19,000 responses from citizens located in 309 districts across the country.

Several people, especially in tier 2, 3 and 4 rural districts, believe Covid is long gone and there is no need to take any more doses. On the other hand, a sequence of heart attack and brain stroke cases is leading a section of the population to believe that the vaccine is causing side effects.

In an earlier survey, 51 per cent of citizens said that they have one or more individuals in their close network who have had a heart or brain stroke, cancer acceleration or a neurological condition in the last two years.