IMA on Monday, while addressing a press conference, said that India may witness a severe third wave of COVID-19 if efforts are not made to tackle the new variant of the virus. It also informed that the Omicron which has been described as a variant of concern is more penetrable as compared to the previous variants of the virus. Additionally, it will affect more people.
The doctor’s body appealed to the central government to announce ‘additional’ doses for healthcare workers, frontline workers, and immunocompromised individuals.
IMA also advised the government to expedite the proposal for vaccination of children between the age of 12-18 years as soon as possible. According to IMA, it has been proven that vaccinated individuals are capable of fighting severe dorms of COVID-19 infection efficaciously.
"At a time when India is limbing back to normalcy, this is a great setback. If we do not take adequate measures, we may have a massive third wave," said IMA.
IMA also hailed the efforts of the government to vaccinate over 50% of the adult population with at least one dose.
The Doctor’s body also urged people to avoid mass gatherings, wear masks and ensure physical distancing as much as possible. "IMA does not support the imposition of a travel ban. However, we appeal to all to avoid unnecessary travel, especially pleasure tourism and social gatherings. All our public transport systems should strictly adhere to the code of covid protocol,” said IMA.