Mysore/Mysuru: To elicit people’s opinion about the two vaccines, Covaxin and Covishield approved by Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) for emergency recently, the students and staff of Department of Community Medicine, Government Medical College, Mysuru, have taken up a sample survey in city.

 “We have taken up this sample survey in Nazarbad area which has a population of 44,000 people. Opinion of each person is recorded. This survey is only for research purpose,” Dr. Mudassir Azeez Khan, Professor and Head, Department of Community Medicine, told SOM.

He said the ongoing survey was purely for education and research purposes. As many as 25 Health Inspectors, two post-graduate students and ASHA volunteers are involved in this survey. They would daily meet at a point, hold a small meeting and make separate groups to visit the houses. 

On an average, these teams would cover around 100 houses daily. Each team has been given a questionnaire to be filled up by volunteers on the basis of answers given by residents. 

During the sample survey in Nazarbad, we found that nearly 60 percent of people are ready to take vaccine whenever it is made available to them, and 40 percent are scared due to its side effects. The sample survey in Nazarbad is likely to be completed by this month. The sample survey in other areas will be taken up thereafter, he added.

Dr. Khan, who is also the Nodal Officer for COVID-19 Vaccination on behalf of Medical Education Department, said that his Department works on guidelines of World  Health Organisation (WHO) as its basic motto is creating awareness on community health programmes. 

Apart from collecting details, the health volunteers will also explain about safety and efficacy of two vaccines. “According to our survey among healthcare workers, around 68 percent had agreed to take the shot and the rest did not out of fear and efficacy of the vaccine. In the State, around 45 percent to 50 percent of healthcare staff has taken COVID-19 vaccination”, he noted.