Odisha requests for 1.5 mn Covishield doses for uninterrupted vaccination

Amid rising cases of COVID-19, the Odisha government has requested the Centre to provide at least 1.5 million Covishield doses as soon as possible to continue the vaccination drive uninterrupted in the state, informed State Health Secretary, Pradipta Mohapatra.

He stated that round 97 per cent Health Care Workers in Odisha have received the first dose of COVID vaccine and 85 per cent beneficiaries under this category have received the second dose.

Similarly 97 per cent frontline workers have received the first dose and 85 per cent beneficiaries have received the second dose.

"The State Government has urge Union Health Ministry to supply at least 15 lakh Covishield doses as soon as possible so that beneficiaries due for second dose of the Vaccination will not miss their Dose"

As per the Health Secretary, there are total 1.16 crore 45 plus age group beneficiaries in state, out of which 43.55 lakh people have been vaccinated with first dose, which is 37.5 percent.

"The second dose is due for 23.43 lakh beneficiaries for the age group of 45 year and above, among them 5.96 lakh people have received the Second dose recently but the Second dose is due for around 17 lakh people in Odisha," stated the Health Secretary.

"We have around 1.93 crore beneficiaries under the age group of 18 to 44 year, we have started the vaccination from Bhubaneswar, soon we are going to start other places in State as we are supposed to get 6 to 7 lakh doses by May 15."

"Our first priority is to vaccinate people in areas where COVID-19 positivity rate is more then 20 percent"

The state government will also allow private hospitals to conduct vaccination of people aged 18 to 44 years, free of cost, where beneficiaries will only have to pay administration charges, he added.