Announcements by two imams over their mosque loudspeakers have persuaded hundreds of Hindus and Muslims in Mathura city and Etawah town to shed their unfounded fears of the Covid vaccine and take the jab.

Some 1,500-odd residents of the Raya locality in Mathura city were hesitant to take the vaccine. But three days of encouragement over the local mosque’s public address system had led to 80 per cent of them getting themselves vaccinated by Saturday morning.

The rest have some or other health issue and are waiting for their doctors to declare them fit to take the jab.

“Sixty per cent of the locality’s population is Muslim and 40 per cent is Hindu. All of them were opposed to receiving the jab, because three people from the neighbourhood had died three to seven days after getting inoculated,” a resident, Rahim Qureshi, said.

It’s unclear what these people died of since they did not undergo Covid-19 tests.

“However, an announcement by the imam of the local mosque worked wonders,” Qureshi said.

Hafiz Islam Khan, the imam, said: “It was a difficult decision to appeal to the people over the mosque loudspeaker to take the vaccine. I feared that people would accuse me of misusing my position.”

He added: “However, I was amazed to see the response of the Hindus as well as Muslims. A large number of residents came out of their homes to get vaccinated within a few hours of my announcement on Thursday morning.”

The imam had announced in Hindi: “Are you listening to me? Listen to me. Those who have not taken the vaccine must take it now so that we get rid of the disease. Go and take the vaccine to make the country corona(virus)-free. The injection is necessary to force the disease out.”

Dr Rachna Gupta, chief medical officer of Mathura, said: “There was problem in Raya area but people have started coming to the vaccination booths in the last three days. I cannot tell you the exact number at the moment but the problem has been sorted out there.”

The imam told reporters: “From today (Saturday), I shall be going door to door to tell people to keep their areas clean and wear masks whenever they step out. I shall ask the mothers and sisters in particular to ensure that all family members stay home even after taking the jab, as the virus is changing its character very fast.”

Maulana Zahid Raza Qadri, imam of the Masjid Panjabian in Etawah town, made a similar announcement on Friday and Saturday.

“I asked people to ignore the rumours (about purported side-effects) and trust the doctors and scientists. Many have taken the vaccine in the past two days. I’m thinking of continuing the announcement for a few days,” Qadri said.

“There are Hindus as well as Muslims here, and both communities are responding to my appeal.”