Shri Narendra Modi, Hon’ble Prime Minister of India, NEW DELHI.
Respected Prime Minister,
Sub: Request to include Journalists in the list of Covid frontline warriors to get vaccine on priority.
Indian Journalists Union (IJU), the premier organisation of media persons in the country, wish to bring to your kind attention on the alarming situation in which a large number of media persons are succumbing to the Covid-19 virus and thousands getting affected across the country.
Though many State governments had included Journalists in the list of Covid frontline warriors the Central government has not included them thus preventing Journalists below 45 years of age to get the vaccine on priority. Unless the Central government included them in the list they will not get priority in the booking for vaccine.
Journalists should also get priority in booking through the Covin website. The State governments are also helpless in providing vaccine to Journalists below 45 years. We request you to include Journalists and other newspaper employees engaged in news production in the priority list of Covid frontline warriors.
The Covid-19 virus continues to kill working Journalists around the world, where the global tally reached over 1,302 victims in 76 countries till May 11, 2021. Brazil with 191 journo-casualties tops the list of victims among journalists closely followed by India (171 dead) according to Press Emblem Campaign (PEC), the Switzerland-based media rights & safety body.
Most of the Journalists affected were those who report from the field about the deadly virus. Therefore, the Indian Journalists Union appeals to you to take steps on war footing to make available the Covid vaccine to all Journalists on priority.