Amidst speculation whether sanitation workers and pharmacists will be vaccinated against COVID-19 in the initial phase, the government has started working to include them in the priority group after Prime Minister Narendra Modi lauded theirs efforts as ‘frontline’ corona warriors during his speech on Thursday.

The government plans to vaccinate 30 crore people in the first phase of COVID vaccination which includes nearly 3 crore healthcare and frontline workers. Besides doctors, nurses, ANMs and ASHAs, the aim was to include some of the allied health professionals like those working in diagnostic labs and pharmacists. Sanitation workers, scavengers and ambulance operators are also being considered for vaccination in the first phase… (ET Healthworld – TNN, January 2, 2021)