Kerala demands vaccine on priority from Union govt, cites high case load

The Kerala government has asked the Union government to give it priority during COVID-19 vaccine distribution. State Health Minister KK Shailaja said that Kerala was fully prepared for the vaccine distribution and that it would accept any vaccine that the Centre decides to offer the state. 

The state Health Minister also cited several reasons for demanding priority in vaccine distribution. 

Spike in cases  

Although the first case of coronavirus in the country was reported in Kerala, the state’s strategy was to delay the peak of the virus spread. Their target was to delay the spread through strict social distancing and other preventive measures. However, despite keeping the spread in check for several months, Kerala has been seeing a huge surge in cases over the last two months. 

High population with co morbidities

Kerala has the highest number of diabetic patients in the country and a large number of patients in the state also battle cardiac issues, cancer and other illnesses which make them more susceptible to COVID-19.

Population density 

The state also has a high population density which could expedite the spread of infection. 

Aged population 

As people above 50 are put in the priority category for vaccines, Kerala has asked for this as the average age of the population of its elderly is higher than the national average. 

Meanwhile, BJP’s IT Cell head Amit Malviya mocked the state’s request in the tweet. 

“After showing the world how to ‘defeat’ Corona virus, KK Shailja, Kerala’s health minister, now cites high number of cases in Kerala to get priority in vaccine distribution. Kerala model in action?” Malviya wrote on Twitter.

Kerala is currently one of the worst hit states in India and has 65,467 active cases of the virus. On Monday, the state reported 4602 new cases, more than 25 percent of the countrywide count of 16,505. 

In the initial stages of the pandemic, Kerala had managed to effectively contain the spread and was lauded for flattening the curve of infections.