Covid-19: Odisha Plans Vaccination Drive On Lines Of Poll Process

Bhubaneswar: With nation-wide anticipation building up over launching of Covid-19 vaccine possibly in the next few weeks, the Odisha Government has firmed up its blueprint for the mass vaccination that is expected to roll out with the onset of New Year.

According to sources, the State government has planned to undertake the vaccination drive on the lines of electoral exercise (voting). It is being said that the government has targeted to vaccinate as many as 3.17 lakh frontline warriors and health workers in the first phase.

While one vaccination officer will be entrusted with the task of document verification, another officer will look into the crowd management. Likewise, others will be pressed into other related activities. Each centre with three special chambers--waiting hall, vaccination room and monitoring chamber-- will be equipped with required clinical infrastructure for smooth conduct of the programme. One centre can vaccinate a maximum of 200 people a day.

“Cold chain can't be maintained if a door-to-door programme is carried out. So, people will have to turn up at the vaccination centre. At least one doctor having MBBS or BDS degree will remain in-charge of the centre," said Niraj Mishra, a health expert.

Officials said that the database of the first priority group comprising health care workers (from both the Government and private health facilities) and front line workers under integrated child development scheme have been prepared.

Earlier, Additional Chief Secretary to the Health and Family Welfare Department, P K Mohapatra had informed that around 8,300 vaccinators have been enlisted and 30,000 sites have been identified for the inoculation exercise.

The government has also designed multi-sectoral response system at different levels.  Beginning from the State level to blocks, steering committees and task force committees have been set up. All arrangements have been made for setting up of control rooms at the state, district and block levels with necessary connectivity and logistic supports.

Health experts said that a man needs to take two shots of a vaccine. The process of immunization for a beneficiary will get completed after the second dose which needs to be taken within 21 to 30 days from the first one. The vaccine must belong to same company.

“Two doses of vaccine are required for a man. One is priming dose and another is booster. In view of the Covid-19 situation in India, a vaccine which can create maximum antibodies with one dose, should be administered,” said Sidhharth Das, a renowned Professor of Medicine.

The Government of India has aimed at covering 30 crore in the first phase which includes one crore health workers, two crore frontline warriors and remaining 27 crore are elderly citizens above 50 years of age and people having co-morbidities.