The Ashok Gehlotled Rajasthan government on Tuesday urged the Centre to remove the age limit for getting the coronavirus vaccine shot in India as many states are witnessing a sudden surge in the number of coronavirus cases.
India on Tuesday recorded 47,262 fresh coronavirus cases in a day, the highest single-day rise so far this year, taking the nationwide tally to 1,17,34,058, the health ministry said.
“Corona cases have been rising fast in the country. As per experts' advice, the Government of India should focus on more and more vaccination. People will be protected from corona through more and more vaccination only. Everyone should get a vaccine by removing the limit on age group for vaccination, [sic]” Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said.
Similar concerns were echoed by Rajasthan Health Minister Raghu Sharma.
"If the Central government has a coronavirus vaccine in adequate quantity then the age restriction should be removed. The second wave of coronavirus is rapidly progressing in several states of the country which is worrisome," said Dr Raghu Sharma.
The statement came after the Central government on Tuesday announced that people in the age group of 45 to 60 can be vaccinated even if they did not have any comorbidities, a condition that had been imposed earlier.
Earlier this month, the Ashok Gehlot government was in loggerheads with the Centre over the supply of coronavirus vaccines. The Rajasthan government had said that it will not be able to vaccinate people due to insufficient doses in the state, and had accused the health ministry of releasing false data.
No shortage of Covid-19 vaccine in Rajasthan: Centre
Before that, the Centre had released a statement saying there is no shortage of Covid-19 vaccine in Rajasthan.
“There have been some news reports suggesting impending shortage of Covid-19 vaccine doses in Rajasthan. The factual position is that there is no shortage of vaccines in the state at present. Rajasthan has been supplied 37.61 lakh doses and has consumed only 24.28 lakh doses till yesterday night," the Centre stated on March 9.
Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot responded to this alleging that the data released by the health ministry was ‘completely false’.
"The data released by the health ministry with regard to Rajasthan is completely wrong. I will appeal to the Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan that he directs his officials to quickly provide vaccines and to not give wrong information with regard to Rajasthan,” Ashok Gehlot had said.
However, Opposition in the state, BJP, had said that the chief minister’s claim that the shortage of coronavirus vaccine was hollow.
"The claim of the state's Chief Minister about corona vaccine finishing in the state is hollow. The Union Health ministry is talking about sending 37.61 lakh vaccines whereas the Congress government is giving an account of 24.28 lakh. Where did the remaining vaccine go? Has the ‘scamster’ government committed another scam in this as well?” [sic] Dr. Satish Poonia, State BJP President, Rajasthan, mentioned earlier this month.