Srinagar, Mar 2: National Conference president and former three time chief minister of erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir state, Farooq Abdullah, on Tuesday received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine at SKIMS Soura.

“Thank you to the doctors, nurses and staff at SKIMS, Srinagar. Today my 85 year old father & my mother had their first COVID jab. My father has a number of health issues including being on immunosuppressants for a kidney transplant. If he can get the vaccine, you should as well,” Farooq’s son and former J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah tweeted.
Yesterday, the government informed that in the initial phases of COVID-19 vaccination, 70% of health workers and 57% of front line workers, totalling 3,81,200 people have been vaccinated in Jammu and Kashmir with no reported case of any serious adversity.

The next phase of vaccination for the 3rd prioritized group began on March 1 to cover approximately 15 lakh people above the age of 60 years, and persons with co-morbidities in the age group of 45-59 years.
It was further informed that the vaccine will be administered across 2034 COVID Vaccination Centres (CVCs) including 34 private centres.

Deputy Commissioners have been asked to supervise and monitor vaccination drives across the CVCs under their jurisdiction, besides ensuring that prices of vaccines at private establishments do not cross the prescribed limit of Rs. 250 per dose. The vaccines will be administered free of cost at all government CVCs, the officials said. gns