BHUBANESWAR: Odisha topped the list of major states in covering maximum beneficiaries during the first spell of the COVID-19 vaccination drive that aimed at inoculating healthcare workers across the country by February 10.
As per the data released by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the coverage was 50.7 per cent (pc) in Odisha followed by Haryana 50 per cent, Rajasthan 46.8 per cent, Telangana 40.3 per cent, Andhra Pradesh 38.1 per cent, Karnataka 35.6 per cent and Madhya Pradesh 35.5 per cent by Wednesday.
The number of HCWs vaccinated in the State went up to 1,94,058 after 15,831 beneficiaries got the shot on Thursday. It has been ranked fifth in terms of number of beneficiaries. Though the target was to cover 19,770 health workers at 230 sites in 27 districts, 80 per cent among them turned up.
However, after an encouraging start, the vaccination slowed down in many districts on the first day of the second spell as the coverage was 100 per cent and above in only four districts with Balasore recording the highest 114 per cent.
The vaccination was not satisfactory in 16 districts that trailed behind the State average of 80 pc. Keonjhar was at the bottom with only 47.6 pc HCWs turning up for vaccination. Bhubaneswar achieved only 81.6 pc as 1,306 were vaccinated of the targeted 1,600 beneficiaries. No adverse event after immunisation (AEFI) cases were reported in the State.
The second spell of the first phase inoculation drive, which began in Bhubaneswar on Wednesday, resumed in other parts of the State on Thursday. The Health and Family Welfare department has planned to vaccinate 16,050 HCWs at 193 sites on Friday.