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At meeting with Modi, CMs seek expansion of vaccine coverage
The remarks were made at an urgent meeting called by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to review the Covid-19 situation in the state. The PM said “quick and decisive” steps need to be taken to stop a recent spike in cases from turning into a full-fledged nationwide second wave.
Chief ministers of at least three states urged the Prime Minister to allow more people to become eligible for coronavirus vaccines, pointing out to growing cases in some of their regions where a large number of those becoming infected are from younger age groups.
The remarks were made at an urgent meeting called by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to review the Covid-19 situation in the state. The PM said “quick and decisive” steps need to be taken to stop a recent spike in cases from turning into a full-fledged nationwide second wave.
“Keeping in mind that there is young population among those who are getting infected, people above the age of 45, irrespective of comorbidities, should get vaccination,” Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray said, according to his office.
Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh urged the Centre to allow vaccination of all age groups in areas where Covid infection rates are high. He also called for occupation-based immunisation for school and college students and teachers, judges, bus drivers and conductors, elected representatives.
The chief ministers said that they were ready to increase the number of vaccination centres, especially in private hospitals, to improve overall vaccination. Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka and Bengal sought more doses in order to accelerate delivery. “Several private hospitals have come forward and registered themselves, but looking at their overall preparedness they will be allowed to operate to increase the vaccination numbers. Efforts will be made to take the daily vaccination to 300,000,” Thackeray said.
Maharashtra also asked the Centre to relax the norm of requiring private hospitals to have 100 beds in order to qualify to deliver vaccines to 50. The chief minister also said the state-owned research institute in Mumbai — Haffkine Bio Pharmaceutical Corporation Limited – should be allowed to manufacture Covaxin as the state can produce 126 million doses through Haffkine.
“We have demanded that if technology transfer from Bharat Biotech [which manufactures Covaxin] can be done to Haffkine Institute. We have two options; firstly, either we can manufacture it on our own or they provide technology and we use our space and equipment and we do it on fill and finish basis,” health minister Rajesh Tope said.
In Punjab, as the daily positivity rate climbed to over 5%, the CM said half of the new cases are in people below the age of 40, and therefore, vaccinating them should be allowed in select areas. The state government has already started vaccination of younger people in Ludhiana.
“Any area where weekly testing shows a doubling of positivity rates, everyone should be vaccinated,” Singh was quoted in an official statement, adding that this would lead to better outcomes than the periodic cycles of vaccination targeting a small section of the population in each cycle. He also asked that those below 45 and having kidney and liver diseases should be allowed for vaccination.
From Kerala, with chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan busy in election campaigning, the state tourism minister Kadakampally Surendran and chief secretary VP Joy attended the virtual meeting called by the PM.
They too sought wider access to vaccines. “We appraised the PM about measures we took to control the pandemic. Cases have dipped in Kerala in last three weeks,” said Surendran.
After the meeting, Karnataka CM Yediyurappa said the state also sought permission to set up vaccination centres outside medical facilities: at places like old-age homes and apartment complexes.
At present, around 150,000 doses are being given daily in Gujarat, and this number will be increased to 300,000 per day soon, Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani told the PM, according to a statement.
Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khatter told the PM that a cluster approach for vaccination is being adopted to ensure every eligible recipient is reached. “Though vaccination for COVID-19 has been rolled out still we should religiously follow all the guidelines like wearing masks and maintaining social distancing to stay safe and to ensure containment of virus spread,” the CM said, according to a government statement.
Chief ministers of some states like Bihar, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh did not make remarks at the meeting. Officials of some states such as Kerala, West Bengal and Assam, where CMs were busy in election campaign, did not participate in the meeting.
