Jammu and Kashmir kickstart booster vaccination against COVID

Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir government started on Monday (January 10) started administering the booster dose of the COVID vaccine to its eligible population, which includes healthcare and frontline workers, and the immune-compromised senior citizens.

Director Health Services Kashmir, Dr Mushtaq Ahmad Rather while talking to media persons after inaugurating booster vaccination drive at PHC Jawahar Nagar, said that on the directions of Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, vaccination drive for all health care workers, front line workers and people of age above 60 with co-morbidities has been started.

"All necessary arrangements have been made for walk-in and registered eligible population and urged the health care workers to protect themselves first. He added that vaccination stock had already been sent to far-flung and snow-clad areas of Kashmir to make sure that all eligible people get vaccinated.

“If our healthcare care workers will remain safe then we can keep the public safe and all eligible population must come forward and get booster doses,” said Dr Anjum Afshaa, one of the doctors who took the jab today

Authorities further stated that the government of India had already made sufficient stock of vaccines in Kashmir and three is no shortage of vaccination in Jammu Kashmir.

Nayeem Akhtar (65) who got the booster dose said " it's very essential for us to save our life, especially people having other diseases, people should come forward voluntarily to get the vaccine" if we have to fight this pandemic, we have to go for vaccination.”

Among the other beneficiaries were IGP Kashmir Vijay Kumar, who kick-started the precaution vaccination process in Kashmir for frontline workers.

“We being the frontline workers always come in contact with people and we are safe we can help others; we have made all preparations across Kashmir with the help of health department to get our soldiers vaccinated,” said IGP Kumar.

Meanwhile, the total beneficiaries for precaution dose in Jammu and Kashmir are 6,88,286, among them 1,06,245 are healthcare workers, 3,17,631 are frontline workers and 2,64,410 are beneficiaries with co-morbidities.