Bhubaneswar: The second round of Covid-19 vaccination of healthcare workers (HCWs) in Odisha kicked off on Monday. The healthcare workers will be receiving the second dose of vaccine, 28 days after getting the first jab.
Additional Chief Secretary of the State Health and Family Welfare (H&FW) department, PK Mohapatra stated, "The second dose of the vaccine, scheduled to be administered post 28 days of the first dose, will be given to those beneficiaries who were covered in the first phase of immunisation. The process starts on February 15."
The strategy of immunisation has been finalised. Sources said all arrangements are in place at the control rooms across districts with necessary connectivity and logistic supports, and senior officials are monitoring safe storage and transportation of vaccines.
Meanwhile, the state administration has asked all district collectors, municipal commissioners, district headquarters hospitals, and public healthcare organisation to speed up the immunisation drive and ensure completion of first dose vaccination of all healthcare workers before the deadline (February 25).
The move comes after Joint Secretary of Union Health Ministry recently informed States and UTs that the scheduling of the first round of vaccination of healthcare workers must be done by February 20 and the mop-up rounds should be completed by February 25. "For vaccination at least once, scheduling for all the healthcare workers has to be carried out by February 20. Mop-up rounds for the healthcare workers shall be completed by February 25," said Mandeep Bhandari, the Joint Secretary.
As per reports, the Centre has set a deadline for completing vaccination of frontline workers by March 6. Bhandari said that at least one round of vaccination must be scheduled by March 1. "For the frontline workers, scheduling for vaccination at least once is fixed for March 1. The mop-up round for those who could not be vaccinated for any reason should be covered latest by March 6," he said.
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