Meghalaya Govt Directs All Employees to Get Vaccinated Before Christmas

SHILLONG: The Meghalaya government has directed all its employees to get vaccinated against COVID-19 before December 23.

Chief Secretary Rebecca Vanessa Suchiang issued an order requiring all government employees who have not yet been vaccinated against COVID-19 are to get themselves vaccinated before December 23.

Following a Meghalaya high court order on December 6 directing the state to adopt an aggressive policy in conducting awareness drives and attempting to persuade people to vaccinate themselves.

"It appears that there are reservations in certain quarters regarding vaccination. The state should adopt an aggressive policy in undertaking awareness drives and trying to convince people to vaccinate themselves, not only for their own benefit, but also for the protection of others," court had observed during the course of hearing a PIL on December 6 last.

The High Court of Meghalaya has said "the state should not relent on the vaccination drive or trying to persuade people to take the vaccination or even provide for disincentives upon refusal." A division bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice Wanlura Diengdoh said, "It may serve the state well if the district councils and other authorities, including the Meghalaya State Legal Services Authority, also undertake a campaign to educate people and convince them to take the vaccination".

If some individuals are not eligible due to medical reasons, their case will be reviewed by the District AEFI (Adverse Events Following Immunization) Committee, which is present in all districts, official stated.

Only an individual may be exempted from receiving the COVID vaccine based on the committee's recommendations and certification, the official added.

The chief secretary also issued an immediate effect to all government departments to follow protocol.

Meanwhile, on December 18, 6 COVID-19 cases brought the total number of active cases to 118, while 14 further cases of recovery brought the total number of recovered cases to 83148 in the state, which has so far recorded 84744 confirmed cases, including 1478 fatalities.

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