Special Covid vaccination drive for 18-45 age group to start in JK from today

Jammu, May 24: A special vaccination drive to cover high-risk and vulnerable groups in the 18-45 age category would begin in Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday, initially from eight districts having a higher case count and COVID-19 positivity ratio, an official spokesman said.
The drive would be extended to the rest of the 12 districts once the supply of vaccines increases, the spokesman said as chief secretary B V R Subrahmanyam finalized the rollout of the special vaccination drive at a high-level meeting here.
The spokesman said the rollout would begin in Anantnag, Baramulla, Budgam and Srinagar districts of Kashmir, and Jammu, Kathua, Rajouri and Udhampur districts of Jammu.
The spokesman said the target groups have been identified considering their risk assessment and vulnerability to the disease.
“It was directed that as a part of the special vaccination drive, additional dedicated vaccination centres are established for centralized and fast-tracked coverage of all identified beneficiaries after proper verification,” the spokesman said.
He said the chief secretary directed the Law Department to organize two days” special vaccination drives at High Court complexes and district courts to vaccinate all lawyers.
The Information Department was directed to organize similar vaccination drives for journalists at twin Directorates of Jammu and Kashmir, while the Tourism Department was asked to hold such drives at district offices concerned to cover stakeholders associated with the tourism industry, the spokesman said.
He said the transport department was asked to hold the drives for truck, bus, taxi and autorickshaw drivers at respective regional and assistant regional transport offices, while the Higher Education Department will coordinate vaccination of teaching and non-teaching faculty at campuses.
Similarly, the spokesman said the departments of Labour and Housing and Urban Development were directed to organize centralized vaccination drives at suitable places to cover all construction workers, and shopkeepers, vendors and dhaba workers, respectively.
For the target group comprising government employees on Covid duty or in active field offices- viz employees of Public Health Engineering, Power Development Department; people with disabilities; widows or single mothers; orphans; and persons with comorbid conditions, the Deputy Commissioners concerned were directed to mobilize identified beneficiaries towards existing vaccination centres on priority, the spokesman said.