Covid vaccination for senior citizens starts on tardy note across J&K
n the second phase, senior citizens above 60 years of age and those with comorbidities between 45 to 59 years were required to get registered
Coronavirus vaccinations for senior citizens started on a tardy note in Jammu and Kashmir as health authorities, who were earlier supposed to start vaccinations from March 7, were caught off guard when they were asked to start the process on Monday.
Senior citizens had reached Gandhi Nagar Government Hospital and Sarwal Government Hospital to get the vaccine. However, after the Centre’s directive the health authorities in Jammu and Kashmir started vaccinating senior citizens.
Financial commissioner health and medical education Atal Dulloo said, “Earlier, it was decided that vaccination for the senior citizens will start from March 7 but then we received a message and mobilised our staff and started vaccination for senior citizens across the UT.”
Dulloo said the process will be smoother from Tuesday. Government Hospital Sarwal medical superintendent Dr Harbaksh Singh said, “On the first day,120 persons were inoculated with Covishield vaccine, of which 80 were senior citizens. No side effects were observed.”
In the second phase, senior citizens above 60 years of age and those with comorbidities between 45 to 59 years were required to get registered by producing any photo voter identity card, pan cards, driving license and Aadhaar Card.
A septuagenarian Chaman Lal Raina, who received the first jab, said he was fine and had suffered no side effects.
“I am fine. I had no health conditions. Somebody informed me that vaccinations were taking place and I came here to get inoculated. The hospital authorities were well prepared and were adhering to social distancing and other norms,” said Raina.
