The Jammu and Kashmir administration on Tuesday launched the electronic Vaccine Intelligence Network (eVIN) for the management of a vaccine for the novel coronavirus across the Union Territory, officials said. The eVIN is an indigenously developed technology system in India that digitizes vaccine stocks and monitors the temperature of the cold chain through a smartphone application, Financial Commissioner of Jammu and Kashmir”s Health and Medical Education department Atal Dulloo told PTI. “J&K gears up its immunization programme with introduction of eVIN system for vaccine management today”, Dulloo said. “The implementation of this innovative eVIN has started today across J&K with all the districts live on the eVIN dashboard which means that the vaccine data of our vaccine stores is completely transparent and visible to all of us”, he added. Dulloo said the project was started in March 2020 and within six months all the districts were live and 653 cold chain handlers in the UT were trained and they will now operate eVIN at 582 cold chain points or vaccine stores. He said the Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry has been keen that before the launch of a COVID-19 vaccine in the country, all states should be using eVIN systems for effective implementation the vaccination campaign. Jammu and Kashmir”s Health and Medical Education department on Monday began influenza vaccination for healthcare professionals dealing with patients infected with the coronavirus, officials said. Healthcare workers (HCWs) are at increased risk of exposure to COVID-19 as compared with the general population, with potential threat for their health and for patients’ safety. “The Health & Medical Education Department has started influenza vaccination for healthcare professionals dealing with COVID-19 patients from today in J&K”, Dulloo said. He said the vaccination started from Government medical college (GMC) in Srinagar.
