Mumbai:
In 2009, Maharashtra was at the epicentre of the swine flu outbreak and this year over 200 cases have been reported in the monsoon months already.
Since they are at a high risk of contracting and spreading infections, innoculating public health workers against swine flu is a crucial part of the health ministry's latest policy to control the spread of the virus.
However, health authorities who have stepped up their swine flu prevention campaign have hit a sudden roadblock with many public health workers refusing to take the swine flu vaccine.
The Indian government imported 1.5 million doses of the vaccine from France for public health workers. Around 35,000 doses were sent to Maharashtra this year yet only 811 doses have been used in the last six months. The reason - workers say they are afraid of the side effects.
"They say they are worried about side effects. They believe that because they have been treating swine flu patients they have immunity so they don't need it," said Sharvaree Gokhale, Health Secretary, Maharashtra.
However, doctors say the side-effects are minimal. T P Lahane, Dean of J J Group of Hospitals reiterated the fact that none of the doctors who have taken the medicine have reported any sort of side effect so far.
States like Gujarat and Tamil Nadu, much lower on the swine flu radar, have seen over 90 per cent public health professionals taking the vaccine. This is being seen as a major reason as to why the Centre is getting increasingly impatient with Maharashtra's refusal to comply. Also, the vaccine will expire by October.