By: O.R. Shallam, Panaliar, Jowai
The state has emerge as one amongst those who is currently battling for covering the vaccination drive to its every nook and corner to curb and mitigate the spread of the infection amongst the public. Several means and measures have been adopted at the district and the block level to encourage and create awareness on the importance of the vaccine. From shop vendors to cab drivers, the government has made it mandatory to get vaccinated or else RT-PCR test is a must after every ten days. Displaying the sign ‘Vaccinated’ and ‘Not vaccinated’ becomes our daily life trend.
The government through the Home (Political) Department in its latest Order as per letter No: POL.75/2020/Pt.I/ 105 Dated, Shillong the 2nd July, 2021 advised all employees either in the public sector or private enterprises to get themselves vaccinated. The motive of the government is to cover the working group of the population who are prone to being carriers of the infection. I personally welcome and agree with the advisory on the importance of the vaccine.
However, I would like to hint out a strategic administration of the vaccination drives amongst the college and school teachers along with those students who have attained the age of 18 years and above. If community reach out has been done in villages and localities by the state’s health department to attain maximum vaccination rate, wouldn’t it be wise to vaccinate the college teachers and school teachers along with those students who have attained the permitted age to get vaccinated at their own colleges or school campuses to ensure that everyone in the education fraternity are being vaccinated at the highest scale? I mean the essentiality of the vaccine to any given group of the population is indistinguishable for the education community principally before colleges, schools normal activities are to be open. Similar policy may be implemented in offices for the employees. Therefore, underlining the need to achieve the rate in delivering the vaccine to the targeted class of the population.
The success of the vaccination drive means the shielding of the population from the virus and therefore drastically lowering the infection. Hence, the means and approaches for implementation of the drive must be inclusive and equitable.
