MUMBAI: Nikkiey Chawla says many people in India are still confused about the vaccines. Some are thinking that they might die after taking the jabs or this is yet another trick of the government to control them.

“I have heard about all these things myself. It is really disturbing. I personally believe that government has invested so much on their travelling, here and there unnecessarily, they could have invested some more money to make informative videos related to Covid, taken initiatives to reach out to people in the interiors and make them more about the virus and the vaccines. Just printing posters and giving away vaccines is not enough in rural areas. I also think open vaccination should not be allowed or else that will gather a crowd. I have seen when vaccination started in Mumbai, at that time every BMC centre had a number of people gathered, and many among them were not following norms. Vaccination should be done area wise that will be easier to handle,” says India’s first transgender model-actor.

Nikkiey is dying to take her first jab. “If you are registering I doubt even after a year also we all will be able to get vaccinated. There is an acute shortage of vaccines and a lot list of people who need it urgently. Let’s see what happens next,” she shares.

Talking about how Covid has made us all realise that health is wealth, she adds, “I sometimes feel whatever happens, always happens for good. We have been taking things for granted, but now we know. We all are taking acre of our health, hygiene, staying close to our loved ones. This pandemic has thought us real value of our lives. These times have made us kinds, compassionate. Look at how many people are out on the street night and day to help those in need.”

She expresses concern regarding how the virus has devastated the economic system rendering many people jobless. The lockdown, though was necessary, had added to the worry.

“I was not aware that lockdown will happen, my work life sort of came to a halt. Projects got cancelled or postponed. This time it’s worse. And it’s getting difficult for me mentally and financially both. I am not a regular or seasoned actor who can charge 50,000 or lakhs or crores for a day’s work. People like me anyway have limited work, now it is only worse. But I am trying my best to hold up. Thank God I did some saving which is helping me to survive. Please don’t lose hope, we all will come out of this. Just be patient and find out ways to survive this phase,” she signs off.