The Editors Guild of India has urged the Centre to declare journalists as frontline workers and be allowed priority vaccination regardless of age against the coronavirus.

“News organisations have been relentlessly covering the pandemic, elections and other current affairs in an effort to ensure that the flow of news and information to readers continues unabated. News media is included in essential services. Therefore it will only be fair that journalists be given this cover of protection, especially in the face of number of infected rising to astronomical levels,” the Guild said in a statement.

The statement has been signed by Seema Mustafa, Guild president, Sanjay Kapoor, general secretary, and Anant Nath, treasurer.

“Without the protection of a vaccination, media persons are finding it very difficult to discharge their professional responsibilities. Therefore the EGI calls on the Union government to immediately get all journalists, regardless of age, vaccinated so that there is no disruption in their work during this critical time,” the statement said.