New Delhi: The former Prime Minister and Congress veteran leader Manmohan Singh urged the Union Government to place enough vaccine orders in advance and the distribution of jabs among states should be based on a “transparent formula”.

Manmohan Singh in a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday urged that 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”. Manmohan Singh also said in a letter that “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”. As of now, the centre only allows vaccinations of those aged 45 or above.

He stressed on ramping up the vaccination drive to defeat the Covid – 19 pandemic and said the centre must proactively support vaccine producers in expanding their manufacturing facilities by providing funds and other concessions. He also advised PM Modi “The Government should publicize what are the firm orders for doses placed on different vaccine producers and accepted for delivery over the next six months.

If we want to vaccinate a target number in this period, we should place enough orders in advance so that producers can adhere to an agreed schedule of supply,” he wrote. The centre should retain only 10 per cent of this expected supply for emergency needs. “Other than that, states should have a clear signal of likely availability so that they can plan their roll out,” he said.