: Hero Teacher Single-Handedly Dispels Fake News, Helps Vaccinate 10,000 Others #IndiaNEWS #Inspirational Residents of Umbarthan village of Surgana district in Maharashtra ran away when health workers

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Hero Teacher Single-Handedly Dispels Fake News, Helps Vaccinate 10,000 Others #IndiaNEWS #Inspirational
Residents of Umbarthan village of Surgana district in Maharashtra ran away when health workers knocked on their doors for the COVID-19 vaccination drives organised by the State Government.
Like many others, the village residents showed extreme vaccine hesitancy fearing death and other misconceptions. But when a Zilla Parishad (ZP) school teacher, Ratan Chaudhari, visited his native for the first time since the countrywide vaccination drive began, he learned that hardly any person in the village had taken the vaccine.
“It was May and almost five months since the vaccination drive began in the country. But villagers ran over the hills or hid from the officials when the government vehicles did rounds announcing the exercise,� he says, adding that he learned that misinformation led to the scare.
Ratan tells The Better India that the villagers feared the vaccination would cause death or infertility. There were also a lot of conspiracy theories floating around. “The villagers believed that the government promoted digital India, and since they were uneducated, they believed the government aimed to do away with their section of society or reduce their population owing to the lack of literacy in tribal belts,� he says.
Ratan spreading awareness at a funeral.
Moreover, the deaths in the neighbouring states fuelled their misconceptions. “Our village is located at the Gujarat border, and some instances [of death] became known from a village about 11 km away. A few people died as the vaccines spoiled after being transported in the long journey and after the authorities failed to maintain the required temperatures. Some suffered illnesses and developed complications. The Mucormycosis news also started surfacing on social media, which worsened their fears,� says the 48-year-old.
Adding to their woes, the villagers speak Dangi and Konkani. “The announcements and leaflets were in Marathi, which did not help to clear any doubts among the residents,� he says.
To overcome the fear among the community, Ratan decided to take matters into his own hands and helped vaccinate about 10,000 people across 10 villages in his taluka.
Dispelling Vaccine Fears
The primary ZP school teacher started from his home, where his father Shivram was refusing to take the vaccine. “He feared death due to vaccination but I informed him that I was fully vaccinated. A couple of days later, he felt convinced and took his first jab,� he says.
Ratan then shared the example of his father to dispel fears among villagers. He started reaching out to people at weddings, funerals, a village chowk, bus stop, temples and farms. “I did not lose out on any opportunity and took permission from organisers and priests in public events to talk about the importance of the vaccination,� he explains.

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