The decision taken by Telangana government to vaccinate on priority basis those who come into contact with many people is good. A special four-day drive to vaccinate dealers and workforce of fair price shops, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) agencies, petrol bunks and Food Corporation of India from May 28 across Telangana is welcome.
This initiative will cover auto rickshaw and cab drivers, fruit and vegetable vendors and others who do business with the people. The government has asked the district administration to allow people of these categories to move around in towns for vaccination purpose. The LPC agencies and petrol bunks have been asking the government to treat their staff as frontline workers. The delivery boys employed by food facilities also should be brought under this category.
The decision is welcome and the initiative is laudable. But calling this category of people super spreaders is not fair. Some TV channels and newspapers are using the objectionable term. The word sounds bad which tends to taint the persons who are attending to the essential services. If the government does not wish to call them frontline warriors on par with doctors, paramedical staff, police and media persons, it can give them some other respectable name other than super spreaders.
