Odisha to take day off from vaccination drive tomorrow to observe recipients

Bhubaneswar (Odisha), Jan 16 (ANI): Odisha Additional Chief Secretary Pradipta Mohapatra of Health Ministry on Saturday said that there will be no COVID-19 vaccination drive on January 17 as the administration wants to observe the people who took vaccines today.

"After tomorrow, the vaccination drive will continue from Monday to January 25 as per government guidelines," Mohapatra added.

Out of 16,405 targeted beneficiaries for today, around 13,980 people gOt COVID-19 vaccine across Odisha in the first phase of the vaccination drive.

A total number of three adverse effects (AEFI) reported in Cuttack, Dhenkanal, and Gajapati districts respectively, official data said.

The vaccination drive took place at 161 sites in Odisha today, he added.

Billed as the world's largest vaccination programme, covering the entire length and breadth of the country, the drive aims to first inoculate millions of its healthcare and frontline workers and reach an estimated 3 crore people by the end of its first phase.

Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the world's largest vaccination drive against the pandemic. The Centre stated that the shots will be offered first to an estimated one crore healthcare workers and around two crore frontline workers, and then to persons above 50 years of age, followed by persons younger than 50 years of age with associated comorbidities. (ANI)