Bhubaneswar: Even as the state is witnessing several cases of Covid-19 infection and severity in people who have already taken two doses of the vaccines, the state government has asked the Regional Medical Research Centre (RMRC) to conduct a follow-up study in this regard.
Health and Family Welfare department additional chief secretary (ACS), PK Mohapatra has written a letter to RMRC director Sanghamitra Pati to this effect.
“Some cases of Covid-19 positive cases are being reported from various districts of Odisha post double doses of the vaccination. In this regard, it is requested that RMRC, Bhubaneswar may carry out a follow-up study to assess the hospitalisation and severity among Covid-19 positive individuals post vaccination as compared to non-vaccinated Covid positive individuals,” Mohapatra wrote to the director.
The government has been urging people to get vaccinated, maintaining that the vaccine will not only protect one from contracting the coronavirus but also will prevent its progression to a severe form, thereby reducing mortality, he said.
“The findings could provide valuable insight regarding vaccination road map of the state in the coming days,” the ACS said.
Requesting the RMRC director to undertake this study on priority basis, Mohapatra said data can be collected from the designated Covid-19 hospitals in the state.
Speaking to Orissa POST, Pati said, “We will conduct the study to know about the severity among the Covid-19 infected persons after two doses of vaccine. We will see whether the patient was having any symptoms or not, any comorbidity, required oxygen or critical care and whether he/she remained in ICU or not.”
It will also be studied whether such patients have followed Covid appropriate behaviour and whether have infected any other person in their family, she said.
“Vaccine can only prevent us from severity or mortality. Therefore, we all need to follow Covid appropriate behaviour even after vaccination,” Pati said.
Following the instructions from Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the state government has administrated about 72.8 lakh doses to different categories of people from January 16 to May 26, 2021. Out of these, 65.3 lakh doses are Covishield and 7.5 lakh doses Covaxin.
