Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Saturday once again requested the Centre to allow booster dose of Covid vaccine, citing a spurt in infection cases following the emergence of the Omicron variant of the virus. In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he also demanded that people below 18 years of age be also vaccinated.
The state on Saturday reported one death and 45 fresh cases, of which 21 were found infected with the Omicron variant of coronavirus.
According to a release, Gehlot said in view of an increase in Omicron cases, experts have expressed the possibility of a third wave in the country.
”The World Health Organisation has also recommended a booster dose because the antibody levels of people who have been vaccinated initially are decreasing,” he said. ”Cases of Omicron have been reported in 16 states and Union Territories of India. In such a situation, it is necessary that health workers, frontline workers and citizens above 60 years of age, who have been given both doses of the vaccine for more than six months, be administered booster doses at the earliest,” he said. The chief minister also said even citizens below 18 years of age are in dire need of vaccination.
The Union government initially made “ZyCoV-D” vaccine available for them only in seven states, which does not include Rajasthan, he said. Gehlot wrote to the PM that all states have the same requirement, so this vaccine should be made available to all of them.
Earlier in the day, sharing an article published in a newspaper, Gehlot tweeted, ”The Government of India is again requested to issue guidelines after taking an early decision regarding the booster dose.” Gehlot said many other states have also demanded that the booster dose of coronavirus be allowed.
