Covishield: Odisha To Prioritize 1st Dose Vaccination Of HCWs, FLWs, 45 Years & Above

Bhubaneswar: In view of revision in the schedule of Covishield to administer 2nd dose at 12 to 16 weeks interval after 1st dose instead of the earlier interval of 6 to 8 weeks, the Odisha government has decided to prioritize vaccination of 1st dose to Health Care workers (HCWs), Frontline Workers (FLWs) and beneficiaries of 45 years and above.

Additional Chief Secretary (Health) PK Mohapatra has written a letter to all Collectors; Commissioners of Municipal Corporations of Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Berhampur,  Sambalpur and Rourkela; and all CDM & PHOs in this regard citing that in the current scenario, the load for Covishield 2nd dose due beneficiaries at the district level will be very minimal.

Mohapatra has instructed concerned officials to take necessary steps at their level to widely disseminate the revised schedule for Covishield among all Programme Officers, Programme Managers, Verifiers, Vaccinators and citizens.

It may be mentioned here that the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunization (NTAGI) and National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration for Covid-19 (NEGVAC) have recommended revision in the schedule of Covishield to administer the 2nd dose at 12 to 16 weeks after 1st dose instead of the earlier interval of 6 to 8 weeks.