1 lakh jabbed on Day I of free booster shots for 18-59 age group

Bhubaneswar: Over 1 lakh beneficiaries in the 18-59 age group took the precaution dose of the vaccine against Covid-19 in the state on Friday, after the Centre announced the booster shots will be given for free for the next 75 days.
Health authorities said people queued up in large numbers at the vaccination sites and maintained Covid appropriate behaviour. There are 2.65 crore eligible people in the age group, among whom around 1.5 lakh have taken the booster dose at private hospitals by paying money. The pace of vaccination is expected to gain momentum with the rise in infections and the booster dose being offered for free.
So far, a little over 19 lakh people over 60 years, healthcare and frontline workers have received the booster dose while the total number of people in the 18-59 age group (paid and free vaccination), who received the third dose, has crossed 2.5 lakh.
“It is beyond our expectation that vaccination sites swelled with eligible beneficiaries, who received the free precaution dose. Vaccination of other categories of people also continued alongside,” said Bijay Panigrahi, director, family welfare. He was present at a vaccination site here with BMC commissioner Vijay Kulange to supervise the exercise on the first day.