Srinagar, May 1 (UNI) After a lot of confusion about the start of COVID-19 vaccination for 18-45 year age group, Jammu and Kashmir administration has finally announced to start the vaccination driver in a phased manner from Saturday in the Union Territory (UT)
The announcement by the J&K administration comes a day after it had said that the COVID-19 vaccination drive for the age group of 18-45 years will not begin from Saturday in the Union Territory. The administration had said that the actual vaccination date will be announced once the vaccine supply is established.
In the first phase, vaccination for the age group 18-45 years will rollout from Srinagar and Jammu on Sunday.
However, people in the UT alleged that they are not able to get appointment on Co-win website for any vaccination centre, which has been made mandatory for getting a COVID-19 jab for this age group.
“Jammu and Kashmir to rollout 18-45 vaccine from today in a phased manner, beginning with Jammu and Srinagar,” the Department of Information and Public Relations, Govt of Jammu & Kashmir, wrote on its officer twitter handle.
Asserting that the COVID-19 jab will be administrated after prior registration, the DIPR further requested people not to crowd the vaccination centres without setting up an appointment. “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 appointment,” it added.
Meanwhile, health officials from different vaccination centres alleged that they have no information about the commencement of the vaccination driver for the age group between 18 and 45 in Srinagar city from Saturday.
“We have no such information… even if we receive information about the same, we still can’t start the vaccination driver for 18-45 year age group because we don’t have that many jab available. According to our official communication, we will receive the vaccines from May 3,” an official at Public Health Centre (PHC), Chanapora, told UNI.
An official of Florence hospital, which is one of the designated vaccination centres, said that COVID-19 jabs are not available as they haven’t received the supply yet. “We have even stopped vaccination of above 45 years as we are out of vaccines,” he said.
Similar, allegations were made by other vaccination centres in the city.
Advisor to Lt Governor Baseer Khan on Thursday night said that the Union Territory of J&K has already placed an order of 1.25 crore COVID-19 vaccines, which is the highest in the country. “We will be among the first to receive the vaccine,” Mr Khan told reporters during a late night press conference here on Thursday.
Meanwhile, rejecting ‘rumours’ that there is a shortage of oxygen, Remdesivir and other drugs required to treat COVID-19 patients in Kashmir, Mr Khan said that some people with vested interest are creating artificial scarcity to generate panic in Kashmir.
The COVID-19 cases have risen unabated in Kashmir valley, particularly the summer capital, Srinagar, which has recorded the major chunk of positive cases during the last about a fortnight. Srinagar alone, out of 3532 new COVID-19 cases in J&K, reported 932 cases on Friday, while Baramulla recorded 813 cases followed by Anantnag with 239 cases and Kupwara with 206 cases.
Jammu and Kashmir on Friday recorded the highest single day jump of 3532 new positive cases of novel Coronavirus, including 1172 from Jammu division and 2360 from Kashmir division. Thirty people, including 13 from Kashmir and 17 from Jammu, lost their lives to the virus yesterday.
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