Srinagar, Jan 10: Like the rest of India, Jammu and Kashmir government on Monday started administering the booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine to healthcare and frontline workers, and those over 60 years of age.
In Kashmir, Director Health Services Kashmir, Dr Mushtaq Ahmad Rather inaugurated the drive at PHC Jawahar Nagar in Srinagar.
The Director Health Kashmir, on the occasion said that the preference in the booster jabs was being given to health care workers given the vulnerability of infection they face.
“If our healthcare care workers remain safe, we can keep public safe and all eligible population must come forward and get booster doses,” he said.
The DHSK further informed the department has set a target to administer the booster jabs to 1 lakh eligible population.
“For the elderly who cannot come to the centres, we will start a door-to-door drive, ” Dr Rather said.
Across the tunnel in Jammu division, the booster vaccine drive is scheduled to be launched at Government Hospital Gandhi Nagar Jammu by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha.
As per Director Generar Health, Family Welfare and Immunization J&K, Dr Saleem ur Rehman, the eligible beneficiaries can register online or on spot at any of the vaccination sites. He said that at least 20 percent of beneficiaries, those who had taken the second dose in April, could take the opportunity for “added protection”.
The booster COVID vaccination drive was announced by PM Narendra Modi on Christmas Day last year along with the vaccination drive for children aged 15-18, which commenced on January 3.