New Delhi: The Indian Medical Association (IMA), which is the largest body of modern medicine doctors, has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to open up vaccinations to all adults above 18.
In a letter addressed to the PM Tuesday, the association cited the second wave of Covid-19, which is sweeping across the country, as the reason to open up vaccines for all.
“In view of the rapid spread of the second wave of the disease, we suggest that the our vaccination strategy needs to be geared up with immediate effect on war foot (sic),” reads the letter.
The IMA has also made a string of requests including walk-in vaccination facilities that are free-of-cost and a “limited period continuous lock down” for “non-essential areas” like cinema halls, cultural events and sports.
“The IMA has been helping the government counter vaccine hesitancy since day one, and we are prepared to help in any way we can to increase vaccinations. Compared to other countries, our vaccination rate is very low. We have been anticipating a second wave for a long time, and that’s why we sent this letter out,” Dr Jayesh Lele, general secretary of the IMA, told ThePrint.
Also read: With 55,512 cases, nearly 500 deaths in a month, Chhattisgarh is India’s latest Covid red flag
Other requests
In the letter, IMA further argues, “Vaccination against COVID stands as a single evidence based resource for us to restrict the cases by raising the personal immune response and pave way for herd immunity to decrease the severity of the disease.”
Apart from including those above 18 in the vaccination drive, the IMA wants the government to allow private clinics to offer the vaccine and a district-level task-force to enforce and monitor the vaccination drive.
The letter also suggests that “vaccination certificate shall be made a mandatory certificate for entering in to public places and receive products under public distribution system”.
India has vaccinated a total of 8,31,10,926 people as of 6 April.
The country has been witnessing massive surges in cases since mid-March and recorded a new high when daily cases crossed 1 lakh on 4 April for the first time ever.
(Edited by Rachel John)
Also read: Modi govt now plans a ‘touchless’ vaccination process, with Aadhaar-based facial recognition
Vaccines are always dangerous. If it is made mandatory than the govt should issue NOC to all that there won’t be any side effects. A doctor knows better.
सबसे पहले तो नेता लोगों को test करो… रैलियों पे रैली किए जा रहे हैं और जिन states मे elections है वहाँ की कोई news नहिं cases को लेकर. Cases वहीं पर है जहा elections नहीं है…. और new stain virus के लिए वहीं पुरानी test kits…. वाह what a joke.
Instead of compelling law abiding citizens to carry certificates to exercise their Fundamental right to freely travel, the Govt should bring a law to revoke the medical license of any nurse, doctor or other healthcare worker who refused to come to hospital or went on unauthorised leave during this Covid crisis starting Mar-2020. There are tens of thousands of doctors who betrayed their oaths and didnt show ip to work when hospitals were overflowing!
Can you explain, The Print, why your editors did not and have note contested with the IMA this outright apartheid advice: “vaccination certificate shall be made a mandatory certificate for entering in to public places and receive products under public distribution system”
PDS to be made contingent on vaccination status !?! How many fundamental and inalienable rights does such a suggestion ignore? Kindly ask the IMA
The Christian Missionary organization looking to convert people through vaccines now? So desperate.
We have vaccinated less than 5 % of our population. So, is it practical to implement the suggestion?.Vaccination undoubtedly needs fast track acceleration. The government must focus on vaccination and spend requisite funds. Private players such as big corporates and institutions must be invited to contribute. As of now the urgency is lacking. The second wave has a destabilising effect on all of us. But we must take into account the fact that the attrition or death rate has gone down drastically. I have divided the entire period of Covid pandemic into 5 stages: Initial Stage : 01-03-2020 to 30-06-2020, Consolidation Stage: 01-07-2020 to 15-09-2020, The Declining Stage: 16-09-2020 to 25-01-2021, Second Wave- Phase I: 26-01-2021 to 28 -02-2021 and Second Wave -Phase II: 01-02-2021 to 06-04-2021. The numbers worked out by me for (1) No. of infections during the stage (2) No. of deaths during the stage and (3) Attrition Rate -% are as under:
Stage 1: 566840, 16893, 2.98
Stage 2: 4363396, 63883, 1.46
Stage 3: 5737500, 72694, 1.27
Stage 4: 428995, 3582, 0.83
Stage 5: 1589318, 8496, 0.53
Thus the attrition rate shows a steep declining trend. Though the infection rate in Stage 5 has shown rapid growth, the attrition rate is still going down. To conclude, the probability of death due to coronavirus infection is rapidly diminishing. There is no case for panic.