With the number of cases growing each day, Maharashtra is now looking at a new wave of the virus. Data shows that the caseload right now is comparable to that of the September-October 2020 peak. Doctors and health experts have long said that mass vaccination is the only way to achieve some form of herd immunity.
Earlier in the week, Chairman of the Mahindra Group, Anand Mahindra too had advocated that everyone in the state should get the jab on priority. He had made an appeal to the authorities to implement “emergency permission” for vaccinations to those that are willing to take it.
Now, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray too is looking at expanding the base of people that can be inoculated. On Wednesday, March 17, Thackeray requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to allow all people over the age of 45, to get vaccinated. Right now only the people who have underlying comorbidities and are above the age of 45 can get the vaccination. This demand was presented by Thackeray during the virtual meeting that chief ministers had with the PM.
Maharashtra has been one of the worst impacted states by coronavirus. It has already admitted that it is experiencing a second way. On Wednesday, Maharashtra reported 23,179 new Covid-19 cases.
“Considering that a large number of youngsters are infected with coronavirus, all aged 45 years and above, with or without comorbidities, should be vaccinated,” Thackeray said during the interaction. He even stressed that more vaccination centres should be allowed to come up in the state.
Earlier, Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Ajit Pawar had said last week that the state will seek permission from the Centre to start inoculations in Pune for people over the age of 18.
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