BHUBANESWAR: As many as 12.95 lakh people in Odisha have missed the second dose despite completing the maximum 112 days gap for Covishield and 42 days for Covaxin.
Overall, around 15.88 lakh people are due for their second Covid jab by August 25, owing to shortage of vaccine.
On May 13, the Centre had approved a gap of 12 to 16 weeks for Covishield, which accounts for around 95 per cent (pc) of all vaccinations in Odisha and four to six weeks for Covaxin.
As per the data accessed by The New Indian Express, a total of 10,48,572 people are awaiting their second dose of Covishield after the longest recommendation gap between the two doses while another 2,46,455 are in line for Covaxin in the State.
Most of the beneficiaries in the overdue list are from the coastal districts. The highest 1,44,739 beneficiaries have missed second dose, including 1.13 lakh for Covishield and 34,448 for Covaxin in Ganjam district.
The statistics indicated, 65,781 people in Mayurbhanj, 61,462 in Koraput, 56,099 in Cuttack, 54,648 in Keonjhar, 49,914 in Balasore, 46,628 in Bhadrak, 43,595 in Sundargarh, 40,067 in Kalahandi, 39,530 in Bargarh, 39,042 in Nabarangpur, 38,200 in Jajpur, 37,037 in Puri, 34,204 in Rayagada, 32,816 in Sambalpur, 29,734 in Dhenkanal and 28,893 in Balangir have missed their Covishield shots.
The districts having lowest number of beneficiaries missing their second Covishield shot included Deogarh (10,573), Jagatsinghpur (11,350), Jharsuguda (12,299), Gajapati (14,397), Sonepur (16,986), Khurda (17,832), Malkangiri (19,367), Boudh (19,592), Nuapada (19,031), Angul (22,092), Nayagarh (23,134), Kendrapara (24,662) and Kandhamal (26,417).
As many as 1,01,716 people have missed their Covaxin doses in Bhubaneswar even as there was no issue with the stock. The figure included people, who have tested positive after first dose and out of city residents, who have not turned up for second dose for some reason or the other.
According to officials, another five lakh people will be due for their second dose by the end of this month. The State government has, however, set aside around 70 pc the vaccines for the second doses and the rest for the first doses.
Apart from the shortage of vaccine, overcrowding and lack of enforcement at the vaccination centres also deprived people of their second dose. "People stopped coming to vaccination centres after two/three attempts as they failed to get vaccine," pointed out a health worker from Khurda.
Additional Chief Secretary of Health PK Mohapatra said people have missed their second dose of Covishield due to short supply of vaccines.
"We are conducting vaccination of around two lakh doses against our capacity of four lakh doses a day. The Centre has promised additional 11.16 lakh doses of vaccines this month to cover the people due for the second dose. Accordingly, districts have been directed to plan exclusive sessions," he added.
Odisha was supplied 54.92 lakh doses of both vaccines in July against the promised allocation of 30.51 lakh doses of free supply. In August, the State has been allocated 43.48 lakh doses of both the vaccines.