Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Apr 10: Amid confusion over price of vaccines, the drive for administration of precautionary dose of COVID-19 vaccines could not be started today in private vaccination centres of Jammu while as the same was rolled out throughout India.
In Jammu district, only Acharya Shri Chander College of Medical Sciences & Hospital has shown interest to start the vaccination for precautionary doses of COVID-19 but being Sunday today and non-clarity over the price of vaccines, even a single person was not administered the precautionary dose there.
“Though Government of India has rolled out the drive for precautionary dose in private vaccination centres but it is yet to decide the price of the vaccine. As there is no confirmation on price of vaccines, we could not start the vaccination drive today,” a spokesperson of the ASCOMS & Hospital said. He said they are hopeful that the price will be decided by tonight.
Another hospital of Jammu region which has registered itself to start the drive for administration of precautionary Dose is Shri Om Hospital in Samba district. However, being Sunday, the drive failed to take off there today. “We have only Covaxin COVID-19 vaccine and therefore, only those people who have been administered the same type of vaccine as 1st and 2nd dose, can come to our centre and get the precautionary dose,” a spokesperson of the Shri Om Hospital said while adding that they are charging Rs 386 per dose including service charge of Rs 150.
Meanwhile, a senior official of Directorate of Family Welfare, MCH & Immunization also said that there is no clarity over the price of vaccines. “Though Government of India has cleared that the private vaccination centres can charge upto a maximum of Rs 150 per dose as service charge but nothing has been said about the price of the vaccines,” he said and added that due to this confusion, the drive could not be started in Jammu today.
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