Odisha to divert surplus Covaxin doses for 18-plus age group in Bhubaneswar

Health department sources said the Capital city has a stock of 3.45 lakh doses of Covaxin that were supplied for 45 plus age group by the Centre.
A health official shows Covaxin dose. (File photo| Shekhar Yadav, EPS)
A health official shows Covaxin dose. (File photo| Shekhar Yadav, EPS)

BHUBANESWAR:  Caught in a catch-22 situation over slowing down vaccination of 18-44 age group people amidst shortage of doses, the State government is  set to divert its surplus Covaxin doses for the segment in Bhubaneswar.

Health department sources said the Capital city has a stock of 3.45 lakh doses of Covaxin that were supplied for 45 plus age group by the Centre. Since the segment is already mostly covered in the city, the government had requested the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to allow using the surplus stock for covering the 18 plus group on temporary loan basis.

"As the Centre has not yet denied permission, we are contemplating to use the stock for the 18-44 age group. The doses can be compensated once the State allocation is streamlined," said a senior health official. 

The State has a stock of only 2,440 doses of Covaxin (exclusively for Bhubaneswar) and 2,290 doses of Covishield (for all other parts of the State) under its own procurement.

Though Bharat Biotech has committed to supply 26,000 doses of Covaxin by June 7 and Serum India will send 2,27,750 doses of Covishield by June 9 for the 18-44 age group, the stock is unlikely to meet the requirement.

State to divert Covaxin doses for 18+ age group in City

So far, Odisha has received around 7.44 lakh doses of both the vaccines for a targeted population of 17.22 lakh of 18 years plus in 11 cities/towns. Of the targeted 5.17 lakh beneficiaries in the city, so far around 32 pc have received the first dose.  

In the second phase, 5.88 lakh people of the age group will be covered in 11 more towns - Angul, Balangir, Balasore, Bhadrak, Boudh, Deogarh, Dhenkanal, Gajapati, Chhatrapur (Ganjam), Jagatsinghpur and Jajpur. 

Meanwhile, the government has deferred the date for opening of price bid for global e-tender for procuring Covid vaccines till June 9. Only two bids have been received so far and are under evaluation.

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