Bhubaneswar: Odisha government has decided to accord priority to the age group of 45 and above waiting for the second dose of covid vaccination, Additional Chief Secretary Health Pradipta Mohapatra said.
Mr Mohapatra said out of the 1.16 crore people in the age group of 45 and above 43.55 lakh people(37.5 per cent) have been given the first dose and 23.43 lakh people are waiting for the second dose.
He said already 5.96 lakh of them have taken the second dose and the rest 17.lakh people are yet to take the second dose.
The Additional Chief Secretary said the government has decided to give priority to vaccination in five Municipal corporation areas such as Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Berhampur, Sambalpur and Rourkela where the rate of covid positive patients is more than 20 per cent.
He said while covaxin is being given only in Bhubaneswar Municipal Area whereas Covisheld is being given in all the 30 districts of the state minus the BMC area.
Mr Mohapatra said there is no problem with the second dose vaccination of Covaxin in Bhubaneswar as there is enough stock of the vaccine adding that there is a shortage of Covishield for vaccination in the state.
He said the government is in regular touch with the Serum Institute of Pune and has requested the company to provide 15 lakh doses to inoculate to people waiting for the second dose.
Mr Mohaptra said the company had provided one lakh doses two days back and hoped to receive around seven lakh doses by May 15 next.
After the vaccines are received priority would be given to the people in the age group of 45 and above waiting for the first dose and the left out Health Care Worker besides the Frontline workers.
Mr Mohapatra said he had already directed the district Collectors, Municipal Corporations and CDMO to vaccinate the people waiting for the second dose.
He said in a bid to increase the vaccination base, the government would provide the vaccines to private hospitals so that people will carry out the vaccinations charging Rs 100 towards the administration cost.
Mr Mohapatra said, has asked the private hospitals vaccination centres to stop vaccination from May 1 and to return the unutilised vaccines to the state government.
Those who had taken the first dose in the private hospitals by April 30, could now take the second dose at any government-run hospitals free of cost,” he pointed out.