COVID Vaccines To Reach Odisha This Afternoon; Inadequate & Will Last For 3 Days, Says Govt

Bhubaneswar: Amid reports of vaccine shortage in Odisha, Health and Family Welfare Director Bijay Panigrahi on Tuesday informed that 3.47 lakh doses of Covishield vaccine is in stock and the state will receive another 3.49 lakh doses this afternoon.

“However, the doses are inadequate and will last for three days only. We will again write to the Centre for adequate supply of vaccine for uninterrupted inoculation drive,” he said.

In the last 5 days, over 11 lakh people were vaccinated even though the target was 10 lakh, he said.

A total of 2,63,041 vaccine doses were administered in the state the previous day.

The timing of vaccination has been rescheduled due to the heat wave, he added.

On Monday, Panigrahi had told the media that the stock of around six lakh doses of Covishield would last only for the next two days.

“While 1.48 lakh doses Covaxin are adequate since the vaccine is being administered to the eligible beneficiaries only in Bhubaneswar, the Covishield stock, which is used throughout the state, will last for only two more days with at least 2 lakh people being inoculated a day,” he had said.

Also Read: Odisha Running Out Of Covishield Vaccine Stock

Later in the day, Additional Chief Secretary (Health) PK Mohapatra informed that the state has requested the Union Health Ministry for 15 lakh doses of Covishield.

“The Health Ministry has been requested to supply minimum 15 lakh doses of Covishield immediately in view of the surge in cases and the impending heatwave. However, we have been assured of only 3,49,130 doses of Covishield, which will reach on April 6 (2 pm). This will not be sufficient for even two days,” he said.

Meanwhile, health officials on Monday stopped giving the jab at six of eight vaccination units functioning from Berhampur Urban Health Centres following a shortage in the doses.