Bhubaneswar After Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s December 25 announcement to jab those in the 15 to 18 age group, Odisha is gearing up to vaccinate its 25.53 lakh eligible children.
Health and Family Welfare Director Bijay Panigrahi on Wednesday said schools and colleges would be designated as vaccine centres if required. “Dedicated vaccination centres will also be set up for them at the district level. Else, they will be inoculated at the same centres, where the vaccination drive is currently underway, during forenoon to avoid mixing of vaccine as Covishield is being given at some centres. The time gap between the two doses will be 28 days,” he said.
Notably, those born on or before January 1, 2007, are eligible to be vaccinated against COVID from January 3. According to the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare’s latest guidelines, those in the age group of 15-18 years will have the option of Covaxin only.
“They can also show their school/college ID cards to take a jab. The vaccination timings will be 8 am-1 pm,” he said.
Online registration will begin on January 1 and on-site registration will be done from the day the drive starts, he added.
Also precautionary dose will be administered to over 7 lakh frontline workers and elderly persons with co-morbidities. Eight mobile teams have been deployed in each block of Odisha, Panigrahi said.
What’s a major concern for Odisha is vaccine hesitancy among the people as 34 lakh beneficiaries in the state are yet to take the first dose, he added.
