Odisha flags vaccine scarcity, urges for pressing provide

With COVID-19 circumstances but to subside within the state, Odisha Health Minister Naba Kishore Das on Monday flagged vaccine scarcity within the state and requested the Centre for pressing provide of extra 6 lakh doses of Covishield vaccine to the state to handle vaccination periods.
In a letter addressed to Union Health Minister, Dr Harsh Vardhan, Das stated that the current inventory of vaccines will run out by Tuesday making it troublesome for Odisha to hold out additional vaccination periods from Wednesday.
“As per allocation for June (2nd fortnight), Odisha received 13,78,310 doses of Covishield vaccine which has been distributed to all districts. As of today, Odisha has a stock of 3.38 lakh doses of Covishleld, which will be utilised within two days. From Tuesday onwards there will be stock out of Covishield in the State and conduct of vaccination session will not be possible in the state after that,” the letter acknowledged.

Das in his letter additionally talked about that since sixteenth January 2021, Odisha has administered 1.14 crore doses of vaccines to residents and maintained a unfavourable wastage of three% with a saving of two.9 lakh doses. Since the change in central coverage on vaccination which was introduced into impact from June 21, Odisha is vaccinating a median of three lakh residents per day. Odisha at current has the capability to vaccinate 3.5 lath residents per day.

“Vaccine pre-positioning should be done in advance, so as to prevent any event of stock-out in the Stale and help plan sessions and mobilize beneficiaries in advance,” Das stated. With the goal in thoughts, Odisha has requested to allocate a further 6 lath doses of Covishield vaccine to Odisha for the month of June.