JAMMU: The rollout of special vaccination drives for high risk and vulnerable groups within the 18-45 age category was today finalized during a high-level meeting chaired by the Chief Secretary, B V R Subrahmanyam.
Administrative Secretaries of the departments of Housing & Urban Development, Information, Transport, Labour & Employment, Jal Shakti, Social Welfare, Higher Education, Tourism and Law, Justice & Parliamentary Affairs, besides Mission Director, National Health Mission (NHM) and Director, Family Welfare participated in the meeting.
To implement the decision taken by the Government for prioritized coverage of high risk and vulnerable groups under 18-45 age category, it was decided that the special vaccination drives will initially be kick-started in 8 districts having the highest disease caseload and positivity ratio and will be extended to all the districts once the supply of vaccines increases. The rollout will begin in Anantnag, Baramulla, Budgam and Srinagar districts of Kashmir, and Jammu, Kathua, Rajouri and Udhampur districts of Jammu.
It was further informed that 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 Chief Secretary directed the Law Department to organize 2-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 concerned district offices to cover stakeholders associated with the tourism industry.
The Transport Department was asked to hold the drives for truck/bus/taxi/autorikshaw drivers at respective RTO/ARTO offices; while the Higher Education Department will coordinate vaccination of teaching/non-teaching faculty at campuses.
Similarly, the departments of Labour and Housing & Urban Development were directed to organize centralized vaccination drives at suitable places to cover all construction workers, and shopkeepers/vendors/dhaba workers, respectively.
For the target group comprising Government employees on COVID duty/or in active field offices- viz employees of PHE, PDD; people with disabilities (PwD); widows/single mothers; orphans; and persons with co-morbid conditions, the concerned Deputy Commissioners were directed to mobilize identified beneficiaries towards existing vaccination centres on priority.
The Information Department in coordination with Administrative Secretaries and district administrations was asked to widely publicize the schedule of vaccination drives to ensure maximum participation of the beneficiaries.