‘Will Centre entirely fund vaccines?’ Amarinder Singh writes to PM, seeks priority allocation for Punjab
Punjab has vulnerable population, including old and people with co-morbidities, which is why the state needs priority allocation of vaccines, the CM wrote.
Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Sunday has written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking clarification of Covid-19 vaccine funding and also urging him to prioritise Punjab for vaccine allocation. The CM has said that Punjab has a higher mortality rate because of the age profile of the population and because of high co-morbidities.
Singh said the vaccines currently under consideration would not perhaps reduce transmission but will help in prevention. Hence, the best use will be in preventing serious illness in the most susceptible groups — the elderly — the population of which is high in Punjab.
A statement released by the CMO said the CM has also sought clarity as to whether the Covid-19 vaccination would be entirely funded by the Centre, including the cost of vaccines and vaccination supplies.
Singh also sought to know whether the definition of frontline workers for the purpose of immunization could be expanded to include administrative officials and other essential staff. How the general population will be vaccinated, whether those who have once been infected with Covid-19 are eligible for vaccination are a few issues that Singh sought clarity on.
