Day I: Odisha covers 85% of intended beneficiaries

BHUBANESWAR: The first day of the Covid vaccination seemed less a public health project and more a festival. Vaccination sites were decked out with flowers and balloons in the colours of the Indian flag and red carpets were laid out for vaccine recipients. The mood of healthcare workers who got the shot, as well as of the man on the street, was upbeat.
By the end of the day, the state had covered 85% of its intended beneficiaries for Day 1.As many as 13,980 people were immunized, as against a target of 16,405. While 611 people in Bhubaneswar got Covaxin, the remaining beneficiaries received Covishield.
At many of the 161 vaccine sites in Odisha, safai karamcharis were the first to receive the jabs. Prahlad Suna (36), a safai karamchari who received the vaccine first in Sambalpur, said, “I feel like a lottery winner. This will remain a moment to cherish for life. I have done duty at the Covid hospital here and could feel the pain of those suffering.”
Following the example of Randeep Guleria, director of AIIMS New Delhi, Gitanjali Batmanabane, director of the AIIMS in Bhubaneswar, took the first jab of Covaxin at her institute. Former AIIMS director Ashok Mahapatra, currently vice-chancellor of SOA University, took the vaccine first at SUM Hospital, Bhubaneswar.
Allaying apprehensions about the safety and efficacy of the vaccine, Mahapatra said, “No one should be afraid to take the vaccine as it is needed to battle the coronavirus. The side-effects are very minimal and there is no reason to be fearful. When we are not afraid to ride bikes or take flights, why should we be afraid to take the shot?”
Behind the impressive vaccine coverage on Day I was the health department’s strategy to call 150 to 200 people to each site even though the inoculation target at each site was 100. With the Co-WIN app developing technical snags, the government contacted beneficiaries by calling them and sending them text messages individually. Anticipating possible errors and omissions in the contact process and absenteeism of some healthcare workers, the government contacted more people than needed per site.
“The strategy worked. It took care of absenteeism and those who may have missed the call or message,” said additional chief secretary-health (ACS-health) Pradipta Kumar Mohapatra.
Some sites ended up vaccinating more than 100 people. Bhadrak district vaccinated 328 healthcare workers against its target of 300 (later revised to 330) at its three session sites. Similarly, in the five sites at Koraput, 525 people were vaccinated against the initial target of 500. Keonjhar had the lowest coverage of 54% while seven districts (Angul, Balasore, Boudh, Kandhamal, Kendrapada, Koraput and Sonepur) met their target.
In AIIMS Bhubaneswar, 82 of the 100 registered recipients turned up. It then called up 18 other healthcare workers and met its first day target of 100 recipients.
The government recorded three adverse events following immunization. A 31-year-old helpdesk employee of Dhenkanal and two ASHA workers, aged 35 and 38 and belonging to Gajapati and Cuttack districts respectively, reported uneasiness, nausea and dizziness.
All three had received Covishield. “The symptoms were mild and were related to anxiety. Now, all three are fine,” the ACS-health said.
Chief minister Naveen Patnaik interacted with a healthcare worker each in Capital Hospital in Bhubaneswar and Sundargarh and a doctor in Berhampur to seek their feedback. Describing the ongoing vaccination as the biggest programme of 2021, Naveen hoped that the ‘healthcare professionals will be able to work with bigger confidence after taking the vaccine’.
The chief minister appealed to everyone to cooperate in the vaccination drive. Commending the Covid warriors, he said, “The state is proud of their dedication and sacrifices over the last 10 months in the line of duty.”
While there would be no vaccination on Sunday, the health department is working out the plan for Monday.