For photographer Gaurav Sawn and his wife Riddhi Dave, it’s been a season of uncomfortable conversations. They have been staying in at home most of the time, but when they have hosted small get-togethers or gone out to a friend’s home, the topic of “who is unvaccinated?” has frequently come up. “We have a few close friends, and we haven’t been able to hang out with many of them, as they are not vaccinated.” With New Year around the corner, understanding the reasons behind the hesitation of a few to not get vaccinated is imperative. “When you care about someone and want to spend time with them, or want them to be safe, you want to understand their reasons. Some say they don’t feel there is enough research about the vaccine and its side effects, and some feel that they don’t want to take the trouble till it’s absolutely mandatory.”  Sawn, 34, has be reading up about the issue as well, and feels that everyone should comply with the vaccine mandate. “For now, we are being careful. Anti-vaxxers are loud and vocal about their decision, so it’s easy to decide which party to go to, and which not to. We haven’t made it obvious, but now, I think everyone knows.”

Musician Krishna Marathe, who is unvaccinated, has been getting RT-PCR tests done wherever required