VACCINATION DRIVE FOR 18+ STARTS TODAY IN HIMACHAL

DHARAMSHALA: The vaccination of people in the age group of 18-44 would start on Monday in Himachal Pradesh.

The estimated population in the age group is 31 lakh.

The state has placed an order for 74 lakh doses for the 18-44 age group and has received 1,07,620 doses of Covishield from the Serum Institute of India (SII), Pune.

The remaining doses will be supplied to the state by SII in phased manner in next threefour weeks.

A state government spokesperson said eligible people who had registered on the Cowin portal will get the jab on firstcome, first-served basis. He said vaccination for this age group will be held on only Mondays and Thursdays. As of now, 21,090 people have booked appointments for vaccination.

He said to avoid any inconvenience and overcrowding at the session sites, the beneficiaries should arrive as per their registered schedules only. To avoid any hassle, it has also been decided that the vaccination of 18-44 years age group will be done at dedicated sites only and exclusive vaccination sessions will be created so that there is no mix-up between the beneficiaries of these age group and the prioritised age group.

The government spokesperson said that DCS and SPS have also been requested to ensure law and order at these sites.

In the first phase, vaccination will be done on May 17, 20, 24, 27 and 31.