Assam starts special Covid-19 vaccination drive for transgenders. It’s the first in India

A vaccination centre was set up at a shelter home for transgenders in the city with the support of the state’s health department. The drive will continue and cover other districts of the state in the next few weeks.

Published on: May 14, 2021, 21:34:01 IST

By Utpal Parashar

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Thirty members of the transgender community got their first Covid-19 vaccination dose in Guwahati on Friday as part of a special drive — the first such in the entire country.

A member of the transgender community getting vaccinated for Covid-19 as part of a special drive in Guwahati on Friday. (PHOTO: SOURCED.)

A vaccination centre was set up at a shelter home for transgenders in the city with the support of the state’s health department. The drive will continue and cover other districts of the state in the next few weeks.

“The main source of income of most transgender people is begging. Since they come into contact with other people, they are very vulnerable to getting infected,” said Swati Bidhan Baruah, founder of the All Assam Transgender Association and associate vice-chairperson of Assam government’s transgender welfare board.

“As a marginalized group, they were getting left out of the vaccination process and when we requested the health department, we got a very positive response. They helped with the logistics and we were able to start the vaccination drive without any glitch,” said Baruah.

Since, it was Eid-ul-Fitr on Friday the number of participants was limited. Over 200 people are expected to get vaccinated in the second round of the drive, to be conducted next week.

“I have been interacting with transgender activists from other parts of the country and they were saying that no such vaccination programme has been launched for the community in other states. We are happy that we have been able to do it in Assam for the first time,” said Baruah.

According to the 2011 census, Assam has a transgender population of 11,374. In June last year, the state government set up a welfare board for the transgender community. A separate gender category was introduced for transgender people in the state civil services examination in October last year.

“We decided to start the special drive for the community to ensure they don’t get left out of the vaccination process. We will continue to provide them with the required doses so that the drive can continue and cover every transgender person in the state,” said Munindra Nath Ngatey, director, health services (family welfare).

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Utpal Parashar
A seasoned senior journalist, I have nearly three decades of experience across print, digital, and online platforms, covering political transitions, insurgencies, environmental issues, and development stories in India and Nepal. I am skilled in breaking news, leading editorial teams and launch of newspaper editions. I am adept at leveraging digital trends and social media to expand global reach, with a strong ethical foundation and a reputation for impactful journalism. An alumnus of Asian College of Journalism, I joined Hindustan Times in New Delhi as a trainee reporter in May 1997. Over the years, I have been posted in Dehradun, Kathmandu (Nepal) and Guwahati. Currently, as Senior Assistant Editor at Hindustan Times, I lead a team reporting on India’s northeastern states. My work involves in-depth analysis, and engaging multimedia storytelling across formats, including text, photo, video, and interactive content. I am skilled in producing timely, shareable content, leveraging digital platforms and social media to engage global audiences. Throughout my career with the Hindustan Times, I have led diverse editorial teams, designed capacity-building activities, and supported reporters in developing strong story ideas, ethical reporting practices, digital skills, and fact-checking techniques. As Senior Assistant Editor for Northeast India, I have been responsible for guiding correspondents through complex political, humanitarian, and community-level stories using multimedia formats. Earlier, as Foreign Correspondent in Nepal, I produced extensive reporting during Nepal’s democratic transition and the 2015 earthquake and its aftermath.Read More

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