Odisha asks Centre to include priests, journalists as frontline workers for COVID vaccine

The Odisha government on March 18 wrote a letter to the Central government and urged the Union Health Ministry to include additional categories of people as Frontline Workers (FLWs). In a letter written by the Additional Chief Secretary of the Odisha Health Department to the Union Health Secretary, the Odisha government asked the Union Health Ministry to include to allow it to include journalists, electricity and water supply, airport workers, and priests of Lord Jagannath Temple and Lingaraj Temple in the frontline workers category for the ongoing coronavirus vaccination drive. 

The letter said, "It is suggested that the following categories may be included as FLWs (frontline workers). Journalists and other personnel of print and electronic media. Staff engaged in the maintenance of essential services like electricity and water supply. Staff engaged at airports, railways and seaports. Sebayats (priests) of  Lord Jagannath Temple, Puri,  Lingaraj Temple,  Bhubaneswar."

The letter suggested Journalists and other personnel of the Print and Electronic media may be included as FLWs. 

List of front-line workers

In January, the Centre had released the list of front-line workers who would be administered with the coronavirus vaccine dose. The first category consists of police, civil defence, home guards personnel. The second category has paramilitary personnel, while municipal workers come in the third list. Disaster management professionals are in the fourth category. Fire safety personnel and prison staffers are in the fifth category. 

The coronavirus vaccine was launched on 16th January 2021. The first group included healthcare and frontline workers. The second group to receive the coronavirus vaccine will be persons over 60 years of age as of January 1st, 2022, and persons between 45 and 59 years with comorbid conditions. This group will be eligible for vaccinations from March 1st, 2021. 

In the second coronavirus vaccination drive, PM Modi, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Ratan Tata, India cricket team head coach, and many more got themselves vaccinated. The Prime Minister held a meeting of all CMs on Wednesday, where he spoke against the wastage of vaccines.