Odisha is now moving at a brisk pace towards achieving hundred percent vaccination of the population above 18 years of age which seems to hold the key in the ongoing fight against Covid-19.
State Chief Secretary Suresh Mahapatra has directed all district Collectors to prepare micro plan at the village and Gram Panchayat levels for intensifying vaccinations. He has also directed to ensure cent percent implementation of the micro plans on campaign mode through door to door survey.
The districts have been asked to intensify the campaign and open more vaccination centers at village and Gram Panchayats in the State. Senior officials claimed that the vaccination rate in Odisha has gone above the national rate with least procedural wastage of vaccine doses. It is pertinent to mention here that total vaccination in Odisha crossed 4.03 crore by November 13, 2021.
Out of this 2,68,04,755 persons received the first dose, and around 1,34,96,059 have received the second dose. The portion of 18 + population who received first dose stands at 82.4 per cent against the national average of 79.8 percent. Similarly, 41.5 per cent of the population received the second dose against the national average of 38.4 percent.
Earlier, the State government had set a target to achieve 90 per cent administration of the first dose by November 30. Director National Health Mission Shalini Pandit said that due to proper care in storing, transportation and administration of the vaccine, the wastage of the doses was least in Odisha. The vaccine waste dipped to minus 5.3 per cent in the State thereby saving around 20 lakh doses.