COVID-19 vaccination for journalists in Manipur began in Imphal on Tuesday after the state chief minister declared them as frontline workers of the pandemic following the demand made by the All Manipur Working Journalist Union (AMWJU).
The vaccination for journalists to be carried out in phases was conducted at the hospitals of 1st and 2nd Manipur Rifles located at Imphal West and Imphal East district respectively. The vaccination was carried out in batches of 20 members for each centre.
On Tuesday, a total of 34 scribes were vaccinated, of which 20 journalists were vaccinated at the hospital of the 1st Manipur Rifles while 14 were administered the COVID-19 vaccine at the 2nd Manipur Rifles hospital.
Chief Minister N Biren had announced recently that mediapersons will be vaccinated on priority. “We recognise the effort of our journalists to disseminate news and risk they are exposed to, is no less than other frontline workers. In recognition of all accredited working journalists as frontline warriors, the state government will now vaccinate all the journalists on priority,” CM Biren had tweeted.
(PHOTO: IFP)
Speaking on the sideline of the vaccination programme at the 1st Manipur Rifles hospital, senior journalist Huidrom Netaji Singh said: "I received the 1st dose of COVID vaccine. I was tested COVID positive last year and in order to prevent from the virus infection each person who are eligible should get the vaccine”.
According to an electoral roll of the AMWJU, there are 348 registered members. However, many of the scribes who are working in the field are yet to be registered.
One of the mediapersons who had received the first dose of COVID vaccine in another COVID vaccination centre said that any mediaperson can get the vaccination after filling a consent form.
“I am in the category of the age group of 18-44 years but I received the first dose by filling the consent or authorisation form,” he said.
When asked, some of the media firms reported that most of their staff got vaccinated after they contacted the concerned officials personally.
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