J&K begins flu vaccination for healthcare professionals
The vaccine has been supplied by J&K Medical Supplies Corporation
Jammu and Kashmir’s Health & Medical Education Department began influenza vaccination for healthcare professionals dealing with patients infected by the coronavirus, officials said.
Healthcare workers are at increased risk of exposure to COVID-19 as compared to the general population, with potential threat for their health and for patient’s safety.
“The Health & Medical Education Department has started influenza vaccination for healthcare professionals dealing with COVID-19 patients from today in J&K”, Financial Commissioner, Health and Medical Education Department, J&K Atul Dulloo told PTI.
He said the vaccination process started from Government Medical College (GMC) in Srinagar. “The vaccine has been supplied by J&K Medical Supplies Corporation,” Dulloo said.
The sudden rollout of the flu vaccination to doctors and paramedical staff across healthcare institutions in Jammu and Kashmir becomes necessary in the wake of the safety of health professionals, officials of the department said.
The need to maintain physically distancing, and at the same time see huge numbers of ‘at risk’ health professionals is going to make it one of the most challenging vaccination programmes Jammu and Kashmir has delivered till now, they added.
The officials said the doctors, paramedics and other staff of the health institutes will have to go through suboptimal vaccination coverage.
“Healthcare professionals and workers are at increased risk of exposure to the pandemic compared to the general population, with potential threat for their health and for patients’ safety, a senior officer at GMC said.
Healthcare workers are toiling countless hours since the global outbreak of COVID-19 (also known as the novel coronavirus) that was declared as a pandemic by the World Health Organization, they said.
