Covid vaccination roll-out: 30% health workers inoculated in J&K, no adverse reaction reported

Srinagar: More than 30 percent of health workers have been inoculated in the first phase of the Covid vaccination programme in Jammu and Kashmir.

Of the one lakh health workers, nearly 33000 have been vaccinated so far in the union territory. Interestingly, Jammu and Kashmir is the only place in the country which has not witnessed any Adverse Event Following Immunization (AEFI). A total of 7580 people witnessed AEFI in the rest of the country till January 31.

Adverse Event Following Immunization (AEFI) is any untoward medical occurrence which follows immunization and may not necessarily have a causal relationship with the vaccine.

“We have immunized 33000 health workers since January 16. Fortunately, there has been no report of adverse reactions from anywhere in the union territory. Our target is one lakh health workers. And it will take another month or so to inoculate all of them,” Dr. Qazi Haroon, State Immunization Officer, told The Kashmir Monitor.

The government has modified the immunization programme and started inoculating police and revenue officials simultaneously to achieve the targets. 

“The drive is a dynamic process. Now we have started inculcating police frontline workers.  This will go on simultaneously. On the first day of the second phase, we vaccinated 5000 cops,” he said.

Jammu and Kashmir government is planning to immunize one lakh policemen in the next one month depending upon the situation and weather conditions. And if things go as per plan, then in the next stage population may also be inoculated.

“You never know. Maybe after two weeks, we will start inoculating the population, though there are no directions so far. As far as teachers are concerned, their immunization has not started anywhere in the country,” said Dr. Haroon

 Jammu and Kashmir received 2.70 lakh doses of Covishield vaccine from the Serum Institute of India, Pune. 

“Vaccination is a big ask. We have to take all precautions. It is not easy as we think. We need to monitor those people who have been inoculated. We have got 2.70 lakh doses so far and we are going as per plan to immunize the people,” he said.

Immunization centers have been set up across 20 districts in Jammu and Kashmir. Each person will be administered two doses of vaccines within a month. 

 Every person is closely being monitored after being administered the first dose of the vaccine. Those, who were vaccinated on January 16, will get the second dose before February 16. Under norms, the second dose has to be given after 28 days.