Mumbai/New Delhi, Nov 16 (IANS): Facing the prospects of a probable Third Covid-19 wave, Maharashtra on Tuesday urged the Centre to prioritise a booster jab of Covid vaccine to all healthcare workers.

Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope made the suggestion to Union Minister of Health & Family Welfare Mansukh Mandaviya at their meeting in the capital.

Besides the booster jabs to the healthcare workers, Tope urged the Central government to roll out the vaccination programme for children below 18 year of age as early as possible.

As a measure to speed up the vaccination process, the state minister urged the central minister to "reconsider the current guidelines of keeping a gap of 84 days between the two doses of Covishield (vaccine) and reduce it to 28 days".

The state also sought approval on budget allocation for human resources in the supplementary Programme Implementation Plan (PIP) under the National Health Mission to prepare for the likely Third Wave.

Tope also sought clearance for the proposal to set up Cath Labs under the supplementary PIP of NHM, which had earlier been rejected, at his meeting with Mandaviya.

While Maharashtra has shown a declining graph of Covid-19 new cases and fresh fatalities, the state government is not taking any chances and is on high alert to tackle the potential Third Wave if it strikes.