Students going abroad will be prioritised in Covid vaccination process: Punjab CM Amarinder Singh

Students who want to go abroad for studies from Punjab will now be prioritised in the Covid vaccination process in the 18-44 group, Chief Minister Amarinder Singh said on Monday. At a virtual Covid review meeting, the chief minister directed the Health and Medical Education departments to allow districts to use up to 10 per cent of the doses for the 18-44 years age group for priority categories other than those approved at the state level.

The move will help students going to countries where universities require them to be vaccinated.

Besides students seeking to go abroad, caregivers of elderly persons and other urgent priority groups may be included in this list, an official statement quoting Singh said.


Singh also asked the concerned departments to proactively vaccinate all the people in the categories already prioritised by the state government in this age group based on vaccine availability.

This, he stressed, was essential to keep the risk of virus spread low as the restrictions are eased in the state, he stated.

The state had initially prioritised construction labour, individuals with comorbidities and families of healthcare workers in the 18-44 age group, and has already vaccinated over 4.3 lakh individuals in these categories.

The list was subsequently expanded to include shopkeepers and their staff, staff working in the hospitality industry, industrial workers; street vendors especially those serving food items-juice, chat, fruit etc., delivery boys, LPG distribution boys; bus drivers, conductors, auto/ cab drivers; and local body leaders - mayors, councillors, sarpanches, panches.