Vaccine FOMO Makes India's Seniors Give It Their Best Shot

Wary, Slow-Of-Gait? No, Elderlies Are Breaking Stereotypes In Vax Rush

- Mohua Das

Country legend DollyParton who recently broke into a version of Jolene that went — ‘Vaccine, vaccine, vaccine, vaccine/ I’m begging of you please don’t hesitate/ Because once you’re dead, then that’s a bit too late — would be proud of her contemporaries in India.

Contrary to the stereotypes of elderly people — wary, slow-of-gait, and particularly vulnerable to misinformation about the vaccine — what emerged was a reverse of the depressing story one might have expected. The country’s senior folks have been rushing out full throttle, braving long queues, tech hiccups, and even camping from dawn at the gates of vaccination centres. ‘Fear of Missing Out’ or FOMO has taken on a whole new level among the elderlies. As the race for the jab intensifies, so does a sense of urgency for this ticket back to normal life.