COVID-19 jabs for CM, legislators likely: TN Health Minister

Beneficiaries aged above 50, theChief Minister, Ministers, MLAs and journalists are likely tobe vaccinated against coronavirus soon, Health MinisterC Vijayabaskar indicated in the Tamil Nadu Assembly onThursday.

Replying to ruling party legislator, S Semmalai, whosought to know when the vaccination could be made available tothe general public and the MLAs, the Minister said so far,about 1,33,000 frontline workers have been vaccinated.

The state has received 12.34 lakh plus doses of COVID-19vaccines and over 8.50 lakh beneficiaries including health,police and revenue employees have been identified, he said.

Hesitation in getting any vaccine administered was usualand in order to bring a sense of confidence among thebeneficiaries he and Health Secretary J Radhakrishnan got the'Covaxin' jabs and many district collectors have volunteeredto get the vaccine administered, he said and thanked them.

As per norms, the vaccination was now being provided forfrontline workers and had the Union government allowed, theChief Minister, Ministers and the Speaker could have beenvaccinated, giving confidence to the people, he said.

''The government has sent a proposal to the Centre toprovide vaccination for beneficiaries aged above 50, the ChiefMinister, Ministers, MLAs and journalists,'' he said.

A favourable reply was likely from the Centre in a weekor two and then MLAs and other proposed beneficaries would bevaccinated free of cost according to the Chief Minister'sdirective, the Minister said.