COVID-19: Vaccination for 18-44 age group to commence from 17 May in Himachal  

DHARAMSALA, 14 May: The inoculation of the 18-44-year-old age group in the state will start from Monday, a health official from the Himachal Pradesh State government has said. 

“The vaccination drive for the age group of 18-44 years in the State will be started from 17th May 2021,” the Special Health Secretary of the Jai Ram Thakur Administration, Nipun Jindal has said.

The administration has urged the public to register themselves and schedule their appointment for vaccination on the COWIN portal. 

The Health Secretary has stated “vaccination will be administered only on Mondays and Thursdays and sessions will be visible in the COWIN portal two days prior to each scheduled session. “

Under phase 3 of India’s vaccination drive, registration for everyone above 18 years of age began on http://cowin.gov.in, Aarogya Setu App & UMANG App at 4 pm on 28th April, while the vaccination was to take place for 1 May.

Though the Jai Ram Thakur Administration has announced that it will provide Covid-19 vaccine frees for people between 18 to 44 years across the government health institutions in the state, the shortage of vaccine has meant that only the registration for the drive can take place.

The notice stated that the session sites along with available slots will be visible for scheduling on the COWIN portal from 15th May, 2021and  two days prior to each scheduled session.

It further urged the public to visit the vaccination centres only after scheduling an appointment for vaccination. “No beneficiary will be entertained at the vaccination sites without having an appointment,” 

The ID’s accepted for the registration includes aadhar card, driving license, pan card, passport and pension cards.

The vaccination drive was made possible after the state administration has procured 1,07,620 doses of COVISHIELD vaccine from Serum Institute of India, Pune. while it further awaits consignments from the Serum Institute of India for the same age group.

So far a total of 21,08,857 people in the state have already been vaccinated till May 13. 

In the wake of a sharp surge in the number of Covid-19 cases in the State, Himachal Pradesh was under a strict “ten-day Corona curfew”  from 7- 16th May. 

Himachal recorded 924  fresh Covid-19 cases and 38 deaths today till afternoon,  media reports said citing official sources from the administration.

The tally now stands at 1,51,597 cases so far, 37,789 active cases and  2,156 deaths.