Bhubaneswar: The third-phase of COVID-19 vaccination for people in the 18-44 age group and those above 45 years resumed in Odisha on Monday.
However, due to the acute shortage of vaccines, the vaccination is underway in only 256 out of 1500 session sites in the state.
In Bhubaneswar, the vaccination of the people of 18-44 age groups is underway in all government hospitals. The vaccination drive for the 18+ group started at 8 am will be conclude at 1 pm. For the 45+ people, it will be held from 3 pm to 6 pm.
People who have registered their names in the CoWin, Arogya Setu and Umang apps are eligible for vaccination.
The Director (Family Welfare), Bijay Panigrahi, informed that a target has been set to vaccinate about 5 lakh people in the 18-44 age group in Bhubaneswar. The two-dose vaccination of these age group is expected to be complete either by June end or the first week of July.
Panigrahi said the vaccination in the capital city has begun after the state received 1.5 lakh doses of Covaxin from Bharat Biotech.
He further stated that vaccination in private hospitals in Bhubaneswar has been stopped due to the shortage of Covaxin. Vaccinations in these hospitals will resume only after the state receives an additional quota of doses.
At present, the state has 46,220 doses of Covishield and more than three lakh doses of Covaxin, he added.
“The state government has ordered 25 lakh doses of vaccines of which we expect that a fresh consignment of the vaccines will arrive in the state in a couple of days. Once the vaccines are received, the vaccination will begin at the session sites which are now temporarily closed,” he said.
