J&K rolls out drive to vaccinate those in 18-45 age group [Details]

The Jammu and Kashmir administration said that it will roll out the third phase of the COVID-19 vaccination drive to cover people in the 18-45 age group from Saturday in a phased manner starting with the cities of Srinagar and Jammu.

As of now, the UT has received 1.5 lakh doses of the vaccine to kickstart the vaccination drive. Of those, 75,000 doses are for Srinagar and 75,000 are for Jammu and there are 5 centres each in both the cities. 

"J&K to rollout COVID-19 Vaccination for 18-45 age group from today 1 May in a phased manner, beginning with Jammu & Srinagar. It will be by prior registration and prior appointment only," the UT administration tweeted from its official Twitter handle.

"COVAXIN will be administered to this age group free of cost. It will be by prior registration and prior appointment only. Please do not crowd the vaccination centres without an appointment," it said.

Earlier on Friday, the J&K administration said the third phase of the inoculation drive will not begin in the Union Territory from May 1 as it was awaiting vaccine supply. Financial Commissioner, Health and Medical Education, Atal Dulloo said on Friday that the Union Territory was expecting to receive vaccines soon.

Confirming the supply later, a spokesman said on Friday, that they have 75,000 doses for Srinagar and 75,000 for Jammu. "We have set up 5 centres each in both the cities. Block-level to start from the day after tomorrow," he said.

J&K orders 1.24 crore doses of vaccine

The J&K Government has ordered 1.24 crore doses of Corona vaccine, among the highest in the country, to cover the entire population in the 18-45 age group. As per data prepared by the government about 65 lakh people in the 18-45 age group would be vaccinated in J&K.

On Friday Dulloo had stated that the UT has placed orders for the supply of vaccines to undertake free vaccination of people in the 18-45 age group and the government was expecting to get the vaccines soon.