After Railways, MTC makes vaccination must for staff

Those who skip it without medical reason can’t get special leave if they catch virus

Days after circulars issued by Southern Railway and the Integral Coach Factory, asking staff to take the COVID-19 vaccine or proceed on leave triggered a controversy, the Metropolitan Transport Corporation, Chennai, has asked its employees to compulsorily get the jab. In a circular issued on Monday, the MTC’s general manager said that if employees failed to take the vaccine without a doctor’s approval for any specific medical reason, they would not be entitled to special medical leave if they test positive for COVID-19. He said the Transport Department was a service sector working directly with the people. Drivers and conductors had to be in close proximity to thousands of people on a daily basis, he said. “With the onset of the second wave of COVID-19, the State government has advised compulsory vaccination — either Covishield or Covaxin — for all those aged 45 and above to protect them from the virus,” he said.