BHUBANESWAR: The Covid-19 vaccination drive in Odisha would be streamlined from Monday, July 12, 2021, as 8.4 lakh more doses of Covishield are slated to arrive here on Friday, July 2. The State received one lakh doses of Covishield and 1.42 lakh doses of Covaxin on July 1.
However, the inoculation continued to be disrupted for the third consecutive day due to a shortage of vaccines. While not a single session was conducted in 16 districts on the day, the Health department has decided to stop the inoculation in 17 districts. Sources said only 102 sessions have been planned in the rest 13 districts that includes 69 sessions in Bhubaneswar alone.
The districts where no vaccination has been planned are Angul, Balangir, Balasore, Bhadrak, Boudh, Cuttack, Deogarh, Ganjam, Jajpur, Kandhamal, Kendrapara, Koraput, Malkangiri, Nabarangpur, Nayagarh, Rayagada and Sonepur.
Director of Family Welfare Dr Bijay Kumar Panigrahy said the vaccine vials will be dispatched to districts on July 3, 2021. “Vaccine dispatch to interior districts involves logistic support which is why we have been urging the Centre to supply vaccines in big volumes. It is difficult to send the consignments to districts like Malkangiri, Koraput, Nabarangpur, Rayagada and Sundargarh two to three times a week,” he reasoned. As per the advisory issued by the Centre, vaccination of pregnant women will start in the State soon.