Urgency of crisis demands quick action
Returning from a month-long holiday in the US, I was immediately struck by the urgency of the pollution crisis as I landed in Delhi, past midnight this week.
In order to combat the COVID-19 pandemic head-on, the United States has now given permission to pharmacy stores to innoculate its citizens, as per media reports.
US President Joe Biden had announced earlier this week to provide vaccinations on a walk-in basis in tens of thousands of pharmacies and mobile clinics.
Now, even retail stores like Walmart, Walgreens, Safeway and Stop and Shop have announced vaccines to walk-in clients at some locations or in mobile clinics, a New York Times report stated.
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Federal health officials have also directed drugstores and grocery-store pharmacies to offer second doses of the vaccine to people who received their first shot from a different provider.
Some US states have also offered a free inoculation in exchange for a ticket to a baseball game, a stiff drink or $100, the report said.
It is to be noted that the Biden administration aims to inoculate 70 per cent of American adults with at least the first shot by July 4.
However, it is also interesting to note that demand for Covid-19 vaccinations has fallen as the country approaches 150 million vaccinated people.
According to a New York Times report the average number of people getting a first or single dose each day has fallen by about 50 percent from the peak on April 13.
The average number of people getting a first or single dose each day has fallen by about 50 percent from the peak on April 13.
(With IANS inputs)
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