No free COVID vaccine to health workers who deny jab

Bhubaneswar: Healthcare workers refusing to take COVID-19 vaccine during the ongoing immunization drive in the state will not be allowed for free vaccination again. However, those remain absent will be vaccinated free of cost in the next phase of the drive.

Health and Family Welfare Director and Vaccine In-charge Bijay Panigrahi said this while speaking to mediapersons regarding reports of few healthcare workers hesitating or fearing to take the vaccine shot.

As per official sources no case of anaphylaxis has been reported in the state so far following administration of the vaccine.

Stating that the drive is successfully being carried out in the state, the senior official said while 31,902 healthcare workers were expected to be vaccinated on the second day of the drive yesterday, total 32,526 beneficiaries were given the first dose of the vaccine, which is 102 % of the total listed beneficiaries for the day.

The  vaccination was conducted t 375 sessions sites across the state yesterday.

The second consignment of Covishield vaccine consisting of 3,34,500 doses will arrive in the state today that would cover all 3,38,777 registered healthcare workers in first phase, Panigrahi added.