India’s vaccination efforts against Covid-19 are well underway. However, progress has been considerably slow, as one can expect with a large and diverse population that needs to be administered the jab safely and orderly. Another factor that could be working against the government’s vaccination efforts in the immediate and near future, is the growing phenomenon of “vaccine hesitancy”. A widespread scepticism around the effectiveness of the vaccine and its side effects.

To combat this phenomenon, three independent Mumbai advertisers have teamed up and organized a vaccination drive. White Rivers Media, First Economy and Veefin are giving free jabs to their team members in Mumbai under the #JabWeGet initiative – a private vaccination drive held to minimize the friction that comes with registering via the booking app and waiting in queues. Hundreds of free doses of Covishield are being administered under the expert supervision of several doctors and nurses.

“With the #JabWeGet vaccination drive we wish to set an example for others and break down the vaccine hesitancy hurdle. Because the only way out of this pandemic is through getting vaccinated” said Shrenik Gandhi, Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of White Rivers Media.

Gautam Udani, Co-founder of Veefin, a world leader in contextual SCF and digital lending solutions for bankers, added, “The sooner we make the community stronger and build trust around vaccination, the sooner we will return to our normal lives.”

“With #JabWeGet vaccination drive we hopefully will clear the air around vaccine hesitancy and encourage the general public at large to get their jabs at the earliest,” said Jigar Zatakia, founder of First Economy, an IT solution company determined to make it easy for enterprises to embrace the digital landscape.

The organizers further said that the vaccination of their team members is just the beginning, and they wish to go beyond that. As a token of appreciation attendees are getting seed pencils – a plantable pencil, which you can sow when it’s too short to use and grow herbs and flowers. These innovative eco-friendly gifts also double as metaphors for saving lives and protecting several others around you by doing the responsible thing and getting the vaccine.

These organizers have also set up an online domain “jabweget.com” for the initiative; where you can readily access information regarding the initiative. They aim to get rid of this seemingly harmless ‘hesitancy’ and use today’s digital tools to make the vaccination a huge success.

They are placing QR codes across the office wherein people can scan and donate to numerous organizations involved in combating vaccine hesitancy. Additionally, they are trying to raise funds to get more jabs to aid orphanages in dire need of vaccination.

With #JabWeGet and its several facets, the organizers hope to curb the misinformation, motivate citizens to get their jabs and encourage as many kind souls as possible to join hands (after sanitizing) to strengthen the fight against Covid-19.