Sex workers in Andhra Pradesh have appealed for free vaccination at specialized local clinics spread across the
state to safeguard the community from the hard-hitting impact of Covid-19.
In a letter to the Deputy Chief Minister & Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Andhra Pradesh Government on Wednesday, Vimukthi and ILFAT, two civil society organizations registered a request to enable free and easy access of Covid vaccination to sex workers at the APSACHS (AP State Aids Control Society) clinics under the third phase of Government of India’s vaccination program which permits those aged between 18-45 years to get vaccinated.
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The Vimukthi Survivors Collective, an AP-based group of women sex workers and survivors of human trafficking, along with a national body of human trafficking survivors, the Indian Leadership Forum Against Trafficking (ILFAT), suggested that the roughly 1.10 lakh sex workers in the state can become super-spreaders if not vaccinated. “Commercial Sex Workers (CSWs) are among the most vulnerable and marginalized populations in India. Many sex workers and their children live in enclosed spaces under thatched roofs in various prostitution localities in Andhra Pradesh. Multiple sex workers live in a small room with their children and often share a bathroom. If they contract Covid-19, it can spread aggressively without limits,” the letter reads.
Quoting a UN 2017 study on Indian sex workers that found nearly 1.6% of them to be affected by HIV/AIDS, the letter adds that pre-existing comorbidities like HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis can lead to critical conditions. “While most sex workers have minimal diseases, those that suffer from severe ailments can be hit harder by the virus. Many sex workers also have other health-related issues, including addiction to alcohol and tobacco, and are more vulnerable to violence and abuse, including by the owners of brothels,” it further reads.
Vimukthi and ILFAT also hinted at technology becoming a bane for sex workers in the process of getting vaccinated. Since those above 18 years of age have to mandatorily register on the online Co-WIN portal to book vaccine appointments, the CSOs opined, “Most sex workers are not capable of registering online for the vaccine and may not be able to produce the required documents. This poses a serious barrier to their access to important health services, mainly COVID vaccination.”
Due to an existing burden on hospitals and healthcare centers, the CSOs appealed to organize free Covid vaccines at APSACS health centers like ICC, PPTCT, STI clinics, which are reserved for sex workers under Targeted Intervention (TI) programs. They also requested that the registration process may be completed at the clinics itself. “This makes the process easier because APSACS already provides a district-wise special unique code number to 1.10 lakh sex workers, which is used to grant ART drugs, STI & STD testing, and general treatment in the above-mentioned clinics,” the letter reads, further adding that if vaccination is transmitted through APSACS clinics, there will be no demand for another ID proof.