BHUBANESWAR: With the Centre directing the states to remain ready for first phase Covid-19 vaccination, Odisha government has initiated process to augment its existing cold chain and step up the adverse event surveillance mechanism.While there is no clarity on which vaccine would be available at what time, it is anticipated that there may be a combination of vaccines.
Of around five vaccine candidates that are under Phase III human trials, health officials believe, four vaccines are suitable for the country as that can be preserved in deep freezer and transported through the existing cold chain. The State has to go for capacity augmentation to meet the challenges in storing a combination of vaccines in different temperature set up.
Along with one State vaccine store, there are nine regional vaccine stores and 32 district vaccine stores from where vaccines are transported to 1,222 distribution points through ice lined refrigerators (ILRs). The entire cold chain system is online. NHM Managing Director Shalini Pandit said the vaccination points and potential vaccinators in all districts have been mapped.
For capacity augmentation, the State requires 936 small ice lined refrigerators, 70 large ILRs, 30 large deep freezers, 7,331 needle cum hub cutter, 506 sharp pits, 1,473 data loggers, two walk in coolers and two 15 KVA generators.
MEASURES IN PLACE
In the first phase, 3,17,692 healthcare workers associated with 3,989 health facilities, will be vaccinated
Vaccine points and vaccinators identified for the Covid-19 immunisation programme
Database of 8,267 vaccinators involved in routine immunisation programme prepared and 29,276 session sites identified
Database of elderly persons soon
Bhubaneswar: The State government will prepare a database of all elderly persons ahead of the Phase-1 Covid-19 vaccination expected early next year. At the State Steering Committee meeting for Covid-19 vaccination chaired by Chief Secretary Asit Tripathy, it has been decided that the Electronics and IT department and Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare department will prepare a list of people above 60 years from the existing database of National Food Security Act, pension and other Aadhaar-seeded schemes. A new IT platform will also be created for enrollment of eligible elderly persons those who are not covered under any scheme or not listed in the State Government database. Once the database of all the elderly persons is created, it will be easy for the State Government to administer them vaccine when it is available.