KARNATAKA/RAJASTHAN - As Mr Shankarappa D, 61, helped his mother through the corridor of a primary health centre (PHC) in Guddahatti village in the South Indian state of Karnataka, the 80-year-old held her walking stick so tightly her knuckles went pale.
"She's scared the injection will hurt," Mr Shankarappa told the nurse in Kannada. Throughout the 30 seconds it took for her to get the Covid-19 vaccine, his mother Goyamma chanted: "Aiyayyo, aiyayyo," in anticipation of the pain.
Already a subscriber? Log in
Read the full story and more at $9.90/month
Get exclusive reports and insights with more than 500 subscriber-only articles every month
ST One Digital
$9.90/month
No contract
ST app access on 1 mobile device
Unlock these benefits
All subscriber-only content on ST app and straitstimes.com
Easy access any time via ST app on 1 mobile device
E-paper with 2-week archive so you won't miss out on content that matters to you
