If 45+ vulnerable, so are people in 18 to 44 age group

OPEN HOUSE: SHOULD AGE BAR FOR COVID VACCINATION BE LIFTED & PEOPLE BELOW 45 YRS ALLOWED TO GET VACCINATED?

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Less time to ascertain side effects of vaccine

It is disturbing fact that ailments, viruses and disasters don’t differentiate on age, caste, creed, being rich or poor. All are vulnerable. Can doctors explain how those below 45 years are safe from the virus? The government is still experimenting with the vaccine against Covid because not much time has been given to ascertain its side effects on beneficiaries.

Capt Amar Jeet (retd), Mohali

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What about people with drug allergy?

People of all age groups should be allowed to get vaccinated. Many are hesitant about getting jabbed, but some real issues are not addressed by hospitals and media. I have drug allergy and could not get vaccinated. Doctors themselves are not sure whether persons like me should take the shot against Covid or not. Nobody or no forum is there to address the issue.

IPS Anand, Gurugram

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Lower age for jab to improve herd immunity

There should be no age bar on vaccination. It sounds so ridiculous that elderly don’t come for vaccination and those below 45 years are not allowed to get jabbed against the virus. If vaccination is not opened for all age groups Covid pandemic will aggravate and soon the situation will be out of control. The more beneficiaries are vaccinated, the better it will be for herd immunity.

Opinder Kaur Sekhon, Chandigarh

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Breaking transmission chain more important

More and more people have shown up for getting jabbed after the start of the vaccination drive against Covid-19 for the people above 45 years age. While India grapples with the second wave of the coronavirus, it seems that vaccination should be open for all age groups. This will also prevent the wastage of jabs. Moreover, senior citizens go out of their houses occasionally. So, the main carriers of the Covid infection are the people who go out for work. If these young people get vaccinated, the chain of virus transmission might break resulting in fewer Covid cases.

Priyam Aggarwal, Chandigarh

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Vaccination on doorstep for all

It is expected that the second wave of Covid-19 will cause more trouble unless basic precautions like keeping social distance, wearing mask and sanitising hands regularly are taken. It is high time that the vaccine is available for all age groups on the doorstep and that too on a war footing. Better late than never should be our motto to deal with the coronavirus.

Col TBS Bedi (retd), Mohali

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Mass vaccination can contain virus

Senior citizens have shown enough maturity by taking the first jab against the virus. Now, the working force must accept this as social challenge and get vaccinated without any further delay. There should be no age restriction and vaccination should be open to all those willing to get inoculated. Allowing beneficiaries of all age groups to get vaccinated is also necessary to have wider protection. Mass vaccination is the only way to tackle the situation and contain the spread of the coronavirus.

Ryan Sood, Panchkula

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18 to 45 years group superspreader

Open vaccination to beneficiaries in 18 to 45 years age group as this group is the superspreader of the infection in the country. This group accounts for 51 per cent recent surge in coronavirus cases. Vaccine protects people from Covid-19 infection and helps build herd immunity. There is no shortage of vaccines. There is a huge scope of augmenting the inoculation capacity through involvement of the private sector. The government should reduce the age bar on beneficiaries as those below 45 years go out for work and bring infection back to their families.

Vijay Malia, Chandigarh

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hold camps in schools, colleges

Professors, schoolteachers and college students below 45 years should be vaccinated on priority along with others falling in this age bracket so that those going to educational institutions may not spread the virus. At least college students will be able to resume their classes after getting jabbed. If one teacher contracts virus, then studies of approximately 40 students will be affected for 15 days. Teachers should also be regarded as frontline workers and given vaccine. Vaccination camps can be held in schools and colleges for 100 per cent coverage of the population.

Shimmi Jassal, Chandigarh

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Number of young patients rising

With the spurt in daily Covid cases, a new trend is being witnessed, young coronavirus patients are increasing day by day, which is an alarming issue. This has necessitated vaccination of the younger generation along with elders to combat the pandemic. Sufficient availability of vaccine must be ensured for administering the second dose to beneficiaries, who have been jabbed once. An expert advice to finalise the minimum age of the person, who could be vaccinated, can also be sought.

Gobind Ahuja, Chandigarh

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give jab to everyone by all means

It will be right step to lower the age of beneficiaries for vaccination. Sudden upsurge in Covid cases might induce a lockdown in the city. In such a scenario, all must be vaccinated irrespective of the age of the recipient. Similarly, domestic helps must be given the shot on priority.

SC Luthra, Chandigarh

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Vaccination, following guidelines only solution

It is true that the expansion of the vaccination drive is the need of the hour. Those, who are ready to get vaccinated, should be administered the dose irrespective of their age or profession. We need to understand that vaccination and following the guidelines is the only solution to contain the virus. The authorities should remove hesitancy among people to get jabbed against virus. Special vaccination camps can be organised by the government and NGOs. Private institutions can also opt for voluntary vaccination of their employees. Not a single stone should be left unturned to make the vaccination process a success.

Bir Devinder Singh Bedi, Chandigarh

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Vaccinate maximum to tackle pandemic

With Covid-positivity rate rising among the younger population, which is no longer confined to their homes, the government should include them for the vaccination. The authorities must seriously consider allowing all above 18, who are willing, to take the jab. To tackle the pandemic maximum beneficiaries should be vaccinated in the shortest possible time. Vaccination camps should be organised at the Police Lines, educational institutions, prisons, offices and industrial complexes. Mobile vaccination vans should be deployed in densely crowded places. Any complacency in following the Covid-appropriate behaviour at both the individual and institutional level will have repercussions. Ramping up sampling, testing and tracing contacts of Covid patients is urgently needed to contain

the virus.

Sanjay Chopra, Mohali

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only Vaccine can save lives

Yes, the age bar on Covid vaccination should be lifted with immediate effect. More the number of people get vaccinated, less will be the positivity rate. Youngsters are more vulnerable to the virus due to their asymptomatic conditions. Time has come to jab beneficiaries on door-to-door basis. The fatality rate has been increasing from last one month, which indicates that only vaccination can save people from deadly virus. Lockdowns may reduce the virus spread, but the economy will crash. So, the better approach would be vaccination for all ages and at all places.

Wg Cdr Jasbir singh Minhas (retd), Mohali

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Inoculate all to check infection

The surge of Covid cases during the second wave has reached an alarming point. Many schoolteachers and students are getting infected with the new strain of the virus. People at gatherings do not bother about the safety measures. The administration should inoculate beneficiaries among lower age groups so that the infection can be controlled to some extent. The public must adhere to Covid safety protocol as the curse of the pandemic has not subsided.

MR Bhateja, Nayagaon

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Vaccinate below 45 yrs only if experts permit

As per reports, many eligible persons are not getting vaccinated. As such, doses of vaccine are wasted. It’ll be better to lower the age limit of beneficiaries for vaccination. All citizens of 18 years and above should be vaccinated if permitted by medical experts. Vaccination should be mandatory for all those eligible.

Balbir Singh Batra, Mohali

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Those who venture out are vulnerable

Union Health Ministry presently aims to administer the vaccine to those who ‘need’ it and not to those who ‘want’ it. Priority is decided on vulnerability, to reduce mortality and severity of the disease. The narrative is to be seen in a scientific way and not as a ploy in state-verses-centre one-upmanship politics. Logic supports flexibility in the age bar of 45 plus because all those, who go out for work or studies, intermingle the most and can contract virus. The apprehension that lifting age bar will flood vaccination centres is virtual as prior registration specifies the times lot and the centre. Wherewithal of educational institutions and other establishments can be used to set up ad hoc vaccination centres for people.

Lalit Bharadwaj, Panchkula

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Don’t lift age bar on vaccination

The age bar on the Covid-19 vaccination should not be lifted. Teenagers can be allowed to get vaccinated. Children’s immune system is different from adults and can respond differently to diseases. The research for Covid vaccine has to be repeated for children. Vaccination is the need of hour, but should be undertaken safely, while keeping in view its effects on different age groups.

Adish Sood, Amloh

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Age bar okay, if there is waiting period

The government should remove the age bar for vaccination. An app can be launched to register persons, willing to get vaccinated. This will create data of such people, who can be approached for giving the jab against the virus. Restriction on age can help if there is waiting period as it’ll prevent chaos at vaccination centres. But, in the present scenario, there is poor response from eligible beneficiaries to get vaccinated.

Avinash Goyal, Chandigarh

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Ramp up vaccination drive to reach all

People of all age groups must be vaccinated starting with healthcare workers. Vaccination drive must be ramped up as it will reduce virus transmission. As more vaccine stocks arrive, the government must expand the inoculation programme to cover more segments of the population.

Anit Tandon, Kharar

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Virus deadly for all age groups

Age bar on vaccination against Covid should be lifted. Vaccination should be open for everyone. People have to learn to live with the virus and get jabbed to ward off infection while following safety protocol strictly. Everyone is at risk of contracting the disease. The workforce, who are the sole bread winners of their families, must be vaccinated irrespective of the age group with any further delay.

Abhilasha Gupta, Mohali

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Will prevent Wastage of vaccine doses

Although senior citizens must be vaccinated on priority, yet vaccination drive must include persons below 45 years to curb the virus transmission. Hospitals are witnessing a surge in the number of young Covid patients. If the virus does not differentiate between age groups, why should we. The vaccination vials, Covishield and Covaxin, which contain 10 to 20 doses per vial, once opened must be used within four to six hours. By allowing people of all age groups to get inoculated wastage of vaccine doses can be prevented.

Simran Sidhu, Chandigarh

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Workforce must be Inoculated first

People are not coming forward for vaccination, so the authorities concerned should open vaccination drive for all. Senior citizens can stay at home safely, but the younger group has to venture out for duty/work and to fulfil day to day requirements of the family. Cab drivers, rickshaw pullers, daily wagers like construction workers, hawkers and businessmen must be vaccinated on priority because if they contract virus their whole family will be ruined.

Bharat Bhushan Sharma

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Vaccinating teenagers may not be safe

The age limit for vaccination against Covid can be lowered to bring more people under the ambit of the inoculation drive. However, the authorities must ascertain sufficient availability of vaccine, the staff and infrastructure to administer doses. Also, scientists have tested vaccine only on adults. So, vaccinating people below 18 years may not be safe. Just vaccinating people is not a solution to control pandemic. More important is to enforce the Covid protocol and take safety measures. The idea that after vaccination no precautions are needed should also be dispelled.

Bubby Soin, Chandigarh

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Inoculate those who need the  JAB

The government is still struggling to inoculate all those who are above 45 years as there is vaccine hesitancy due to various reasons. Ideally, the age bar should be lifted. All should be considered for vaccination as that will help in creating herd immunity. But, at this juncture, this will not be possible due to vaccine supply constraints. Further, vaccine should be first given to those, who genuinely need it and not, who want it. The government should increase vaccine manufacturing capacity. It’s not a time for playing politics at the centre and state level when Covid infection is once again gripping the entire country.

Dr Anil Yadav, Chandigarh

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Involve Pvt sector in campaign

Vaccination is a single evidence-based resource for us to restrict Covid cases by raising personal immune response and pave the way for herd immunity and decrease severity of the disease. Experts have emphasised that face masks and social distancing are the best precautionary steps to ward of infection. India has more than adequate vaccine production capacity. The government should involve private health sector to ramp up vaccination drive and remove hesitancy among beneficiaries to get inoculated. Speedy massive vaccination of all age groups along with effective disease surveillance is needed.

Dr Manjinder Kaur, Manali

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Will create shortage of vaccine doses

Vaccines shouldn’t be administered to all above 18 years because it will lead to shortage of doses. At present, many states are facing a shortage of vaccines. The government should open vaccination drive gradually so that every citizen is inoculated against Covid.

Saikrit Gulati, Chandigarh

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QUESTION

As second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic is at its peak, will night curfew in Chandigarh and Mohali help in restraining the spread of the deadly virus?

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