Race for jabs in India’s vaccination drive exposes digital divide

It’s 2:00 am and Ananya Maskara’s face is lit up by her smartphone as she nervously scrolls through a list – looking for a green or yellow tab indicating that a Covid-19 vaccination slot is available in India’s capital New Delhi.

For anyone aged between 18 and 44, getting a slot in India’s expanded vaccination drive – already plagued by shortages and political squabbles – has been like buying tickets for a rock concert where popular bands sell out in minutes.

“It was… a rollercoaster of emotions,” the 19-year-old told AFP of her frantic, multi-day search to find a slot on India’s online or app vaccination portals.