3rd wave can be averted if 80% eligible population inoculated: Panel

Kolkata: The Global Advisory Board for Covid Response Policy in West Bengal opined that the third wave of Covid could be checked only if 80 percent of the eligible population to be vaccinated takes the jab and as per the figures of the government of India it would take June 2022 to ensure the same.

The Global Advisory Board held a meeting with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at Nabanna on Thursday. Senior officers including Chief Secretary HK Dwivedi, Chief Advisor to Chief Minister Alapan Bandyopadhyay and Health Secretary NS Nigam also attended the 66th meeting of the board.

Former regional director of WHO Dr Swarup Sarkar, who is a member of the advisory board, said: "Actually no wave can be averted until and unless 70 to 80 per cent eligible people are not getting vaccinated".

Referring to the rate of daily vaccination taking place in the country at present, he said: "As per the current figures (on the rate of inoculation) provided by the Government of India only, it would be June 2022 to vaccinate 80 to 90 per cent of the eligible people if nothing new (in terms of production of vaccine) takes place".

This comes when the Bengal government is repeatedly requesting the Centre to ensure supply of adequate quantities of vaccines to the state.

Even on Thursday Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee wrote to the Prime Minister to provide 14 crore vaccines. Bengal so far received only 2.68 crore doses from the Centre. The state government is administering around 4 lakh doses per day despite being capable of administering 11 lakh doses.

The reason being there is inadequate supply of vaccines from the Centre.

In connection with rush at different places to get vaccines, Banerjee urged people not to get panicked as the state government is doing its level best to ensure vaccination for maximum number of people in a day. Nobel laureate Dr Abhijit Vinayak Banerjee, who heads the Global Advisory Board for COVID Response Policy in West Bengal, appreciated the Bengal government as the state is the best in the country in utilisation of vaccines with minus 7 per cent wastage.