Odisha govt asks district officials to refrain from drive-in and doorstep COVID-19 vaccination

New Delhi: The Odisha government on Wednesday (May 19) directed district authorities to cease the COVID-19 drive-in vaccination and doorstep inoculation as it might lead to vaccine wastage. 

In a letter to the authorities, a top Health department official asked them to administer coronavirus vaccines only in suitable inoculation centres, PTI reported. 

"You are requested to refrain from such strategies and only to conduct sessions in suitable CVCs (covid vaccination centres) with adequate space following the COVID-19 operational guidelines,” Additional Chief Secretary, Health and Family Welfare Department, P K Mohapatra said in the letter. 

Further, the letter read, "In drive-in/doorstep strategies, it will be difficult to manage Adverse Effects Following Immunization (AEFI), if it occurs, and there is also a high likelihood of vaccine wastage.”

Quoting Ministry of Health and Family Welfare guideline, Mohapatra stated that vaccination drives should be conducted at “places with adequate space for waiting area, vaccination room and observation room and have adequate facility to manage AEFI”. 

Recently, some municipal corporations including Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation, Cuttack Municipal Corporation, Berhampur Municipal Corporation and Rourkela Municipal Corporation and some district administrations commenced either drive-in vaccination or doorstep vaccination facilities. 

The state has administered 68,12,118 doses of COVID-19 vaccines so far. 

Meanwhile, to narrow the gap between COVID-19 vaccine supply and demand, Odisha government has floated global bids to procure the jabs. 

(With PTI inputs)