Call to include people with severe mental illness in vax priority groups

PUNE: The Indian Psychiatric Society has pledged its support to an international alliance calling for urgent action to ensure people living with mental illness got fair and equal access to vaccines against Covid-19.

The Indian Psychiatric Society is supporting Equally Well Australia, an NGO, in its Global Call to Action to improve access of people with mental illness to vaccines.

Dr Debanjan Banerjee, consultant geriatric psychiatrist, Life Fellow, Indian Psychiatric Society, and member, International Psychogeriatric Association, said, “It is not about a separate vaccine reservation for Persons with Severe Mental Illnesses (PwSMI), but what we need is prioritizing vaccination for this segment. Despite easy availability, people with severe mental illnesses such as those suffering from schizophrenia, dementia and bipolar disorders in hospitals and institutions are unable to get access to vaccines on account of their disability.”

Dr Gautam Saha, the Indian Psychiatric Society president, said the vaccination rate of homeless people with mental illnesses was low. “Through NGO participation, the government must prioritize their vaccination at the earliest.” Dr Banerjee and Dr Saha are the Indian contributors to this “Global Call for Action”. Indian Psychiatric Society cited reasons such as low vaccination rates in those with severe mental illnesses in India, among others, for their inclusion.