Odisha: 'People With Comorbidities Need Medical Certificate To Take Vaccine Shot'

Bhubaneswar: Elderly people have to show their identity card to take COVID-19 vaccine jab while people with comorbidities will have to produce a health certificate duly signed by a registered medical practitioner to avail the benefit, Health Director Bijay Panigrahi informed on Sunday.

People above 60 years and individuals above 45 years having comorbidities can receive the Covid-19 vaccine shot during the second phase vaccination drive that will kick off from tomorrow.

The vaccine will be available at both government and some selected private hospitals across the State. The vaccine will be available free of cost at government hospital while private hospital will charge Rs 250 per dose as per the government norms.

Beneficiaries will have to register their name on Co-Win portal. Those who have not self register in advance can do the same on-site and then get vaccinate, Panigrahy added.

"During self-registration, the beneficiaries have to complete the demographic profile following which they will get an acknowledgement card. After then, all the vaccination centres will be displayed. They have to choose one on their own choice," Panigrahi said.

People with comorbidities have been priortised in the second phase vaccination. The co-morbidities include diabetes, heart failure with hospital admission in the past one year, post-cardiac transplant, moderate or severe valvular heart disease, end-stage kidney disease on haemodialysis, a severe respiratory disease with hospitalisation in the last two years, primary immunodeficiency diseases /HIV infection and hypertension and diabetes on treatment.

Odisha has adequate number of doses to undertake the second phase vaccination. More vaccines will reach the State very soon, he added.