Madhya Pradesh Man Climbs Up Tree With Wife's Aadhaar Card To Escape COVID Jab

In a strange case of vaccine hesitancy, a man climbed up a tree and refused to come down until the COVID vaccination camp for the day was completed due to his fear of the vaccine, reported India Today.

Kanwarlal, a resident of Patankalan village of Rajgarh district in Madhya Pradesh, not only climbed up a tree but also took his wife's Aadhaar card with him to ensure neither of them was administered the jabs.

The health department had reached the village to conduct a COVID vaccination camp and all villagers were called to the vaccination centre. Kanwarlal also arrived at the center but on seeing the vaccines being administered, he refused to get vaccinated. He then climbed up a tree near the centre and stayed there till the drive was complete.

Though his wife agreed to get the jab, he took her Aadhaar card with him. After hearing about the incident, Khujner Block Medical Officer visited the village and counselled Kanwarlal. The session proved successful as they were able to convince Kanwarlal to get the vaccine the next time.

Vaccine Hesitancy Not New

Last month in an incident reflective of how deep-rooted the fear of vaccines is among people, a couple of villagers in Uttar Pradesh's Barabanki district jumped into a river to avoid getting the jab.

The trends from Facebook's Covid-19 Symptom Survey (CSS) in India show troubling numbers on vaccine hesitancy. The analysis shows India's vaccine hesitancy rate is around 28.7 per cent with variations across states and union territories (UTs).

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