Recently I came across this twitter post where startups are able to get their employees vaccinated by paying a premium amount and to whitewash this by donating a part of what is being paid for to buy vaccines for underprivileged.
This post has more details on this initiative by United Way Bengaluru (claims to be into social causes).
What I am not convinced is that this is credible initiative and not really buying your way to skip the queue. Some questions I have:
How do they get access to vaccines in first place?
Given a limited demand how is their distribution equitable (as claimed in their post)? Shouldn’t you support vaccination of vulnerable first before potentially not very vulnerable population?
If companies that are so called startups doing such things, what does it say about the morality of these companies?
I am open to changing my opinion if someone can answer the above questions and convince me otherwise.
Also if there is anyone from startup community supporting this initiative can you please reason on how you are not gaming the system and using your get out of jail free card here.
My concern relates to intentions. I am a bit skeptical about the social media posts praising and “feeling proud” of companies for vaccinating their employees. The cynic in me is convinced that this isn’t out of an altruistic heartbleed to protect the lives and health of employees, it is to ensure that full working hours are resumed as soon as possible.
For persons below 45, there are hardly many vaccines available through the government hospitals. Private hospitals organize vaccination camps, e.g., for apartment societies, where each dose costs around Rs 1000. It seems that the government itself is encouraging vaccine-profiteering.
I feel what you’re saying. Being from the startup community myself, I would have been pro this if the company was given preference or equal treatment as vulnerable groups if the people getting vaccinated were involved in delivery of any essential service. Whether out of financial interest or not it would have helped us as a community.
But unfortunately I’ve also witnessed this as well as know a few people who have not only cut the queue but as a part of their social media image, are open to boast about it. Consuming 1 vaccine for providing those future 10 not yet existent vials doesn’t sound like the most logical thing.
Getting vaccinated and thereby reducing a vaccine just to sit at home or work from a relatively safer office cannot be justified over a vulnerable group still waiting their chance. It just shows our disregard for the rules as a community.
Bottom line: I don’t think I’ve any argument to change your mind for now (believe me, I’ve tried my best to think of a silver lining to such a move )
Interestingly, IT MNC vax campaigns for employees have two things mandatory:
A. Setu app registration (not Cowin)
**dhaar card
Under which law or rules, nobody knows. All of these campaigns are in private hospitals.
Yes, the bigger question is how are they getting these vaccines? Who are their suppliers? How is the price decided? Remember it is not free. And are these private hospitals entering and saving details of employees? If yes, which software are these private hospitals using?
I personally do think that this is not fair at all. This does not mean that you need to be prioritized just because you have money especially now that the vaccines should be given to the frontliners and those who have no choice but to commute from home to work. Also, Having money should not be used to abuse the system.
)
(believe me, I’ve tried my best to think of a silver lining to such a move )