J&K’s first shot of COVID19 vaccine at SKIMS Soura today

Healthcare workers will take the first shot of COVID19 vaccine at SKIMS Soura on Saturday, commencing the much awaited drive in J&K against SARS CoV2 infection. Nearly 4000 frontline workers are lined up for the campaign for the first day.

Financial Commissioner Health and Medical Education, Atal Dulloo, said the vaccination drive will start at 10 am in SKIMS Soura where 100 people had volunteered for day 1. He said the administration of the Institute would give the vaccine to a doctor and a sanitation worker first. “The vaccine is for everyone working on the frontlines at the hospital. The day will see faculty, doctors, nurses, paramedical staff and other categories of staff getting the shot,” he said.

   

He said the number of locations where the vaccines would be given on the first day had been increased from 30, planned earlier, to 40 now. “Instead of 3000 that we had on cards earlier, we will now be vaccinating 4000 people on Saturday,” he said. Dulloo said Prime Minister Modi will address the country on 16 January, following which the drive will be started at Jammu as well. He said LG Manoj Sinha will inaugurate the vaccination campaign at Jammu.

Dr Qazi Haroon, State Immunization Officer said Advisor Rajiv Bhatnagar would be present at SKIMS Soura for the inaugural event. He said SKIMS and all other vaccination sites had been equipped with manpower to register and monitor all events related to the administering of Covishield vaccine. He said at the vaccination sites, recipient details will be checked by the security personnel who will then permit the beneficiary into the wellness chamber where health parameters will be checked. The person will then be allowed entry into the vaccination chamber. “After the vaccination, we will monitor the person for any adverse drug reaction,” he said.

J&K on Wednesday received the first batch of 1.465 Covishield vaccines supplied by Serum Institute of India. Of these, 79000 were received by Kashmir division while 67500 were for Jammu division. The vaccine is given in two doses, 28 days apart. The J&K Government on Thursday supplied vaccines to all districts, including the far-flung and difficult areas.

As per a GoI communication issued on 14 January, people who receive the first shot of Covishield vaccine will be injected only Covishield as the second dose. The same, the communication states, is true for Covaxin that has been supplied to some states.

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