Ballia, Uttar Pradesh: In separate viral videos from Uttar Pradesh’s Ballia, two men can be seen taking desperate measures to avoid COVID-19 jabs — while one climbs a tree, the other manhandles a healthcare worker.
One video shows a boatman refusing to take the jab as healthcare workers keeps trying to convince him.
“Let’s go, everyone is taking the vaccination,” the healthcare worker tells the boatman, who keeps repeating, “I will not take it,” after a few seconds he jumps from the boat and charges at the healthcare worker, pinning him to the ground.
The boatman then says, “I will throw you into the water” and tries to drag him to the water body.
Some locals then intervene in an attempt to stop the scuffle.
Claiming that he is “not well”, the boatman reiterates he will not take the jab and again attacks the healthcare worker.
In another video, a man, attempting to avoid vaccination, climbs a tree and says, “I don’t wish to take the vaccine. I fear it.”
The healthcare workers keeps pleading with him to climb down, following which hesagreed and gets vaccinated.
Meanwhile, Block Development Officer of Reoti, Atul Dubey informed that both of them took their vaccine doses.
“A boatman and another man who climbed a tree (in different viral videos) were reluctant to take vaccines, but took the jabs after they were convinced,” Dubey said.
Notably, the federal government recently informed the Supreme Court that COVID-19 vaccination is of larger public interest in view of the ongoing pandemic situation but no person can be forced to be vaccinated against their wishes.
The guidelines issued by the Health Ministry do not envisage forcible vaccination without obtaining the consent of an individual, said the government.
