With Virus Spreading Rapidly, Administrations Stir Into Action, Belatedly
Editor-in-Chief of indiacommentary.com. Current Affairs analyst and political commentator.
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By Sunil Garodia
First publised on 2021-03-24 03:45:32
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Editor-in-Chief of indiacommentary.com. Current Affairs analyst and political commentator.
View all posts by this Author
As fresh Covid cases continue. in huge numbers, unabated across India, governments both at the Centre and in the states have stirred into action. In two days, the Centre has accepted two good suggestions of experts and has issued notifications to increase the time between the two Covid jabs and has lowered the age of people who can take the jab in India. These are welcome decisions and in line with what the Prime Minister told the state chief ministers in their virtual meeting a few days back.
The first notification was issued on Monday and it increased the time between the two Covid tabs from 4-6 weeks to 4-8 weeks in line with expert recommendations. Till now, people who took the first jab were advised to register for the second jab after 24 days. This will now hopefully increase to 38 days (or 6 weeks). That will make it easier for the government to inoculate more people with the first jab.
The second notification was issued on Tuesday and it makes vaccination open to people aboe 45 from April 1. Till now, only people above 60 were allowed to be vaccinated with those above 45 with co-morbidities. This opening up will mean that more people in the vulnerable age group will now be able to take the jab.
These two decisions will ensure faster vaccination and that in turn will ensure that India will inoculate a critical mass faster. But a lot remains to be done. For one, more centres need to be allowed and the private sector needs to be involved more. The states have started applying the Epidemic Act with strictness and are coming down on violators with a heavy hand. Only if this had started 6 weeks ago, the virus would not have spread so fast. Now the states should conduct targeted vaccination drives in areas where there is high incidence of fresh infection and start testing and contact tracing with determination. For, past experience shows that is the only way to contain the spread of the virus.
pic courtesy:the hindu
