Jammu, Mar 19 (IANS): Jammu and Kashmir is ramping up capacity to administer three lakh Covid vaccine doses per day and store 50 lakh in cold chain even as close to 4.40 lakh people have been vaccinated so far with no reported case of extreme adversity.

J&K Chief Secretary, B.V.R. Subrahmanyam on Thursday chaired the third meeting of the UT Steering Committee to review the progress of Covid-19 vaccination drives that were rolled out in January 2021.

It was informed that so far 77 per cent of healthcare workers, 78 per cent of front line workers, and 12.28 per cent of elderlies and co-morbid patients, totalling 4,39,910 people have been vaccinated in Jammu and Kashmir with no reported case of extreme adversity.

Arrangements have also been put in place for on-spot registration and administration of vaccination to the remaining healthcare workers and frontline workers, yet to be vaccinated.

Moreover, Covid Vaccination Centres (CVCs) in Jammu and Kashmir are also being gradually enhanced to 3,034 including 34 private centres.

All the CVCs will be connected through 873 cold chain points with a total vaccine storage capacity of more than 50 lakh doses and vaccination capacity of 3 lakh doses per day. The vaccines are being administered free of cost at all government CVCs and at private centres against the payment of Rs 250 per dose.

At the vaccination centres, vaccination slots are being proportioned to accommodate reserved appointments of Co-WIN registered beneficiaries, second dose beneficiaries and open/walk-in beneficiaries on a day-to-day basis.

To effectively deliver the vaccines at the grass-root level, Chief Secretary impressed upon greater coordination between the frontline workers of various departments including health, social welfare, school education, rural development, and housing and urban development. He also emphasised the need of evolving a multi-sectoral response to the roll-out of the Covid-19 vaccine by involving NGOs, NCC, and other volunteers, besides maintaining open and transparent communication through a proactive IEC strategy to curb misinformation and rumours.