Srinagar: The health officials on Tuesday said that around 70 percent healthcare workers and 60 percent frontline workers have received jabs of COVID vaccines and now the vaccination drive for general public has been started and people must cooperate as “everyone will be covered”.
Director General Family Welfare, Dr Saleem ur Rehman, and State Immunisation Officer, Dr Qazi Haroon, while addressing a press conference in Srinagar said that people must cooperate and in this phase senior citizens aged more than 60 years and those in the age group of 45-59 years with comorbidities are being covered.
Dr Saleem ur Rehman said that people have the option to either take their vaccine shots from a government facility or opt for a private hospital for which “we have already identified 34 private hospitals and their list will be published soon.”
The ceiling on price of vaccine will be Rs 250 including Rs 100 as hospital charges.
He said that in order to register for Covid-19 vaccination, people have options like online advance self-registration for vaccination by downloading Android mobile app and through the Aarogya Setu app.
These apps will show all government and private hospitals that are serving as COVID vaccination centres (CVCs), he said, adding that the apps will also show details of date and time of the available vaccination schedules.
“People who are eligible for vaccination in this phase will be able to choose the CVC of their choice and book an appointment for vaccination,” he said, adding that “in case you want to opt for on-site registration, you can walk into any identified vaccination centre and get yourself registered and vaccinated.”
He said that all people, irrespective of how they have registered for the vaccination, will have to carry some document for identity — including Aadhaar Card, Electoral Photo Identity Card, Photo ID card at the time of registration; in case of online registration (if not Aadhaar or EPIC), certificate of co-morbidity for citizens in age group of 45 years to 59 years (signed by a registered medical practitioner).
The comorbidity certificate can either be uploaded on the apps by the beneficiary while self-registering or a hard copy of it can be carried by the person to the vaccination centre, he added.
Officials said that anyone above 60, whether having comorbidity or not will get vaccine. However, people aged between 45-59 years are eligible for vaccination only if they have the comorbidities like heart ailment with hospital admission in past one year, post-cardiac transplant/left ventricular assist device (LVAD), significant left ventricular systolic dysfunction (LVEF), moderate or severe valvular heart disease, congenital heart disease with severe PAH or Idiopathic PAH, coronary artery disease with past CABG/ PTCA/ MI and hypertension/diabetes on treatment, angina and hypertension/diabetes treatment, CT/MRI documented stroke and hypertension/diabetes on treatment, pulmonary artery hypertension and hypertension/diabetes on treatment, diabetes (10 years or with complication) and hypertension on treatment, kidney/liver/hematopoietic stem cell transplant: recipient/on wait-list, end stage kidney disease on haemodialysis/ CAPD, current prolonged use of oral corticosteroids/ immunosuppressant medications, decompensated cirrhosis, severe respiratory disease with hospitalisations in last two years/FEVI, lymphoma/leukaemia/myeloma, diagnosis of any solid cancer on or after July o1, 2020 or currently on any cancer therapy, sickle cell disease/bone marrow failure/ aplastic anemia/thalassemia major, primary immunodeficiency diseases/ HIV infection and persons with disabilities due to intellectual disabilities/muscular dystrophy/acid attack with involvement of respiratory system/persons with disabilities having high support needs/multiple disabilities including deaf-blindness.
Dr Saleem said that they have vaccinated thousands of people so far and there was no case of any severe side-effect so far and people must come forward without any fear and get vaccinated to beat this deadly pandemic.
