Aditya Thackeray makes three suggestions to Centre on vaccination amid rise in Omicron cases

In a letter to Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, Aaditya Thackeray made three suggestions based on his consultations with doctors, for the purpose of protecting people from emerging Covid variants.

All front-line workers and health care workers were first to receive Covid shots when vaccinations started early in the year, he said, adding that they should be allowed a "third shot at their studied desire", said Thackeray in his letter.

Bringing down the minimum age for vaccination to 15 will "enable us to cover secondary schools and junior colleges with vaccine protection", he wrote.

He said Mumbai has covered 100 percent of those eligible with the first vaccine shot and more than 73 percent have received the second.

The Shiv Sena leader recommended decreasing the gap between two vaccine doses.

"If the gap between two doses is reduced to four weeks, just like for those applying to work or study abroad, the city will cover 100 percent of its population with the second dose by mid-January 2022, without asking for more vaccines or altering its delivery schedule," Thackeray said.

Two cases of Omicron were detected in Maharashtra on Monday, taking the total number of cases in the state ten.

Across India, there are 23 Omicron cases and many of their contacts have tested positive, though the variant has not been established.