COVID Vaccination Likely To Create Shortage Of Blood In Odisha

Cuttack: The ongoing COVID vaccination programme in Odisha is most likely to create a shortage of blood in the coming days.

Prof Pankaj Parida, Head of the Department of Transfusion Medicine and Head of the Blood Bank of the SCB Medical College and Hospital, said that the ICMR guidelines stipulate that there should be at least a four-week gap between the first and second doses of Covaxin and a gap of 6-8 weeks in case of Covishield.

“Going by the rules, people taking two doses of Covaxin cannot donate blood for 56 days while those taking Covishield will have to wait for at least 84 days. Since Covishield vaccine is being administered in all 30 districts except Bhubaneswar, blood donation programme in Odisha is likely to be hit for at least three months,” he added.

Parida further said that the vaccination of the people of 18-44 age groups will begin from May 1. “Since around 42 per cent of the population belongs to the above age groups, Odisha may face the problem of blood shortage,” he pointed out.