BHUBANESWAR: The State on Friday crossed another milestone in Covid vaccination by administering more than six crore doses of vaccines. Odisha was the 10th State to cross the mark in 13 months. The total doses of vaccines administered so far touched 6,00,77,907 after 1,28,502 eligible beneficiaries were jabbed at 2,795 vaccination centres on the day. Of the 3.5 crore age-appropriate beneficiaries of 15 years and above, the first dose has been administered to 3.31 crore people and second dose to 2.66 crore. As many as 7,48,008 senior citizens and frontline workers have got the precautionary doses so far.
Health department sources said the first dose coverage has been 95 per cent (pc) of the total beneficiaries of 18 years and above and 99 pc as per head count. Though around 92 pc are due for second dose, 80.32 pc people have been double dose vaccinated. The State, however, has achieved 75.2 pc coverage in first dose among teenagers. As per the Ministry of Health statistics tabled in the Parliament, 4,73,246 people aged 60 years are yet to get Covid vaccine and 6,54,796 senior citizens are due for second dose.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said, “Odisha crossed yet another significant milestone in the fight against Covid-9 pandemic by administering six crore vaccine doses.” He commended the hard work and commitment of healthcare workers in ensuring swift vaccination to save precious lives.The State has received 5.06 crore doses of Covishield and 98.52 lakh doses of Covaxin of which 4.72 crore doses and 95.9 lakh doses have been consumed respectively. There is a stock of 33.64 lakh doses of Covishield and 2.62 lakh doses of Covaxin.
Anticipating the scarcity of Covaxin anytime soon, the State government has written to the Centre seeking additional 10 lakh doses of Covaxin in February.Director of Family Welfare Dr Bijay Panigrahi said the Ministry of Health has been intimated about the stock position and requested to provide additional doses this month as there may be shortage of doses for teenagers and senior citizens requiring precaution dose.
The Covid-19 vaccination was rolled out on January 16 last year and the State had crossed the one crore target on June 21, two crore on August 18, three crore on September 3, four crore on November 12, five crore on December 31, 2021.