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Bhubaneswar: The Covid-19 immunity dose in Odisha makes a promising beginning on Saturday.
Not a single major Adverse Event Following Immunisation (AEFI) has been reported in the State. Only 3 minor AEFI cases (of a total of over 13.7K recipients) were reported that worked out to at around a mere 0.02 per cent.
Health experts rate this Coronavirus vaccination drive in Odisha a big success, because the achievement rate in the State hovered over 84 per cent with as many as 4 districts reporting a perfect 100 per cent score, and another five accomplishing near 100 per cent rate. Only one district –Keonjhar – had posted a lacklustre show. The vaccination rate here limped at below 55 per cent.
“The covid-19 vaccination drive in Odisha can be termed as very successful. Despite keeping the vaccine recipients under observation for around 30 minutes, no major AEFI cases were reported from across the State. Only one minor case (head reeling and similar symptoms) each is reported from Dhenkanal, Cuttack and Gajapati,” observed Dr Niranjan Mishra, State Public Health Director.
Significantly, when more questions were being aimed at India’s home-grown vaccine Covaxin, over 600 recipients in Bhubaneswar had got the shot with nil reportage of AEFI so far.
Hot Spots And COVID19 Vaccine
The Covishield vaccine seems to have got an overwhelming response in major Covid-19 hotspot districts in the State.
The top hotspot city in the State Bhubaneswar has reported a 100 per cent achievement rate in vaccination. A total of 612 health workers, including doctors, have taken the jab in the temple city. Not a single AEFI case has been observed.
While Ganjam and Gajapati score a rate of 91 and 93 per cent, respectively, Bargarh and Bhadrak scored a rate of 98 and 99 per cent, respectively. Jajpur, which imported a large number of Coronavirus positive cases from neighbouring West Bengal, scored an achievement rate of 88 per cent.
Rayagada and Puri logged a good performance rate of 87 and 89 per cent, respectively.
Though Cuttack city had been the number two hotspot in the State, the vaccination achievement rate for the city has not been shown separately. However, the district as the whole has a success rate of 81 per cent.
The districts of Angul and Kandhamal, which had contributed a significant chunk of coronavirus positive cases in the State, have recorded a 100 per cent accomplishment score rate on the very first day of phase -1 vaccination programme.
Sundergarh, which has been the State’s other hot spot district, could record a vaccination achievement rate of around 78 per cent only.
Why Drop Out Rate High In Some Districts?
Even as tribal districts have shown a very high rate of 100 per cent (Koraput) to 72 per cent in Nabarangpur, Sonepur and Keonjhar (ST) have posted a very lackadaisical show on the Day 1. Why the dropout rate is high in these districts?
As per Dr Niranjan Mishra, “We cannot consider it a dropout rate. This is only the first day of the phase-1 vaccination; recipients may turn up on a later date. Only the end of phase -1 will provide an answer”
The State Vaccine Nodal Officer Bijay Kumar Mishra observed, “Many people seem to have adopted a cautious attitude towards vaccination, as some apprehensions have been floated about the vaccines. Also, it has been the general trend in the State that vaccination achievement rates pick up slowly. We have to wait till the end of phase-1.”
Vaccination History In Odisha
As per the 2019-20 data available with NHM (National Health Mission), under the UIP (Universal Immunisation Programme), almost all the districts have reported near universal immunisation achievement rate of over 90 per cent.
However, cut to the year 2013, the fault lines can be clearly noticed. As per the NHM data, when Angul had a 100 per cent score, many districts had a rate below the State average. (see the figure below).
“The vaccination achievement rate in Covid-19 will also show a spike as many well-known personalities have taken the jab today. And this will have an impact, as had been observed with the earlier UIP,” explained Bijay Kumar Mishra.
