Karnataka govt seeks Centre's nod for priority vaccination for teachers

In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan, he said the staff of the education department, especially teachers, played a huge role in containing the pandemic through their on-field work, including maintenance of containment zones.

Karnataka Primary and Secondary Education Minister S Suresh Kumar on Friday appealed to the Centre to treat teachers as frontline workers and include them in the ongoing Covid-19 vaccination drive for the priority sector.

Approving the proposal submitted by the Chief Secretary of Karnataka would go a long way in instilling the much needed faith of this community in our system," he said in the letter, a copy of which was released to media here. (Bloomberg)

In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan, he said the staff of the education department, especially teachers, played a huge role in containing the pandemic through their on-field work, including maintenance of containment zones.

"It would be the best recognition of their services if teachers are declared as frontline workers, in terms of getting a vaccine for Covid-19," the minister said in the letter, enclosing a copy of the state Chief Secretary's proposal in this regard. Suresh Kumar said the government had utilised the services of the teachers for door-to-door collection of data, propagating the importance of social distancing, assisting the health staff like never before and for many other allied activities. "

The vaccination drive started in the state on January 16 and at present covers the medical and paramedical staff in the priority sector. As of Thursday, a total of 2,84,385 people have been vaccinated in the state in the ongoing phase.

The government has said after covering the frontline workers, people with co-morbidities and above 50 years would be given the vaccine. The state government's proposal comes at a time when schools and colleges have started functioning, especially for the classes 10, PUC second year and final year degree students in the state since early this month.