Bhubaneswar: The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) Monday said that more slots will be opened for 18-44 age group as fresh consignments would reach the Capital city this week.
Sources at the BMC said that the state capital, which had been facing acute crunch of Covaxin doses (especially for those seeking first dose in the 18-44 age group), will soon see an increase in stocks.
“The state government is in talks with the Union government for transfer of surplus stocks. We have also intimated our needs to the state government. We are planning to issue about 2,300 fresh slots for drive-in vaccination centres once the necessary approvals are given,” said a BMC official.
It can be mentioned here that the civic authority till Sunday had 37,080 doses of Covaxin with itself. The stocks had increased more than 10 times Saturday, which saw the city struggling with only 2,440 vials. The Covaxin stock for 45+ age group stood at 4,17,840 doses, Sunday.
The BMC, Sunday, had issued about 3,300 fresh slots for those seeking their first dose. However, due to excessive demand all slots reportedly got booked within a few minutes of opening. As a result, the civic authority is still prioritizing beneficiaries seeking their second dose and has even opened walk-in centres to avoid pre-booking.
“Bhubaneswar is still under critical category as far as daily Covid cases are concerned. Thus, we are aiming to speed up the vaccination drive for the younger group. However, we have widely covered vaccination for the vulnerable groups with launching of near-to-home and old-age vaccinations initiatives,” the official added.
PNN