Close on the heels of Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy’s assertion that the COVID-19 vaccination for people between 18 and 45 years was expected to start only in September, the former Chief Minister and the Telugu Desam Party national president N. Chandrababu Naidu stressed on the need to start vaccination for people above 18 years of age.
“It is incorrect on the part of the government to say that vaccination for the people in the age group of 18 to 45 years cannot be taken up till October and November,” he said addressing a press conference on Wednesday.
Mr. Naidu said there was no other way to combat COVID except vaccination. The elderly people who got vaccinated were safe. Even children were unsafe and vulnerable if not vaccinated. It was time the Centre and the State pooled all their resources together to save people. As per reports, even those below 18 years would be badly affected during a future third wave, he said adding, “Vaccination to all those above 18 years of age should be given immediate priority.”
The State government ordered just 13 lakh doses, while all other States were procuring larger quantities. Tamil Nadu had ordered for 1.5 crore doses while Karnataka and Kerala were procuring 1 crore doses.
Maharashtra had decided to go for universal vaccination for all its citizens, he pointed out.
Referring to the partial curfew, Mr. Naidu called for total lockdown for a limited period in all States and the country in order to break the COVID chain.