Misinformation regarding the COVID-19 vaccine, lack of documents and digital divide have added to the woes of transgender people in the country and are the primary reasons for their low rate of vaccination.

As per data, only 5.22 per cent, i.e., just 25,468 transgender persons, have been vaccinated against COVID-19 in India till now.

According to the 2011 census, there are 4.87 lakh people belonging to the transgender community in India.

A total of 8,80,47,053 men and 7,67,64,479 women have been vaccinated, while just 25,468 people in the ‘other’ category have been inoculated, the CoWIN portal showed.

“Misinformation, lack of digital knowledge and no government documents are the main reasons behind hesitancy of the community members in getting vaccinated,” Hindustan Times reported.

“They were misguided. They were told that taking vaccination will make their health worse. We have explained to them that getting vaccinated can protect them from this deadly disease and they should get vaccinated as soon as possible,” Hindustan Times reported quoting Jaipur-based transgender activist Pushpa Mai.