Let States Define Frontline Workers: Manmohan Singh To PM On Vaccinations

The former prime minister stressed on ramping up the vaccination drive to defeat the coronavirus pandemic

Veteran Congress leader Manmohan Singh has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to allow states to define categories of frontline workers that need to be vaccinated against Covid on priority "even if they are below 45 years of age". Asking the centre to place "enough" vaccine orders in advance, Mr Singh, in a letter, called for the distribution of jabs among states based on a "transparent formula".    "States should be given some flexibility to define categories of frontline workers who can be vaccinated even if they are below 45 years of age. For example, states may want to designate schoolteachers, bus, three-wheeler and taxi drivers, municipal and panchayat staff, and possibly lawyers who have to attend Courts as frontline workers. They can then be vaccinated even if they are below 45," he said in the letter. As of now, the centre only allows vaccinations of those aged 45 or above. The former prime minister stressed on ramping up the vaccination drive to defeat the coronavirus pandemic and said the centre must proactively support vaccine producers in expanding their manufacturing facilities by providing funds and other concessions.