Akankshya Mahapatra 
While both the central and state governments are now focusing on mass vaccination to prevent the Covid epidemic, the Odisha government has issued guidelines to provide vaccinations to both government and private employees and family members in their workplaces. Industrial establishments and private institutions can vaccinate their employees and their family members at their own expense if they wish.
Pradeepta Kumar Mohapatra, Additional Chief Secretary, State Health Department, wrote a letter to all the district commissioners, metropolitan corporation commissioners and district chief medical officers yesterday to provide vaccinations to both private and government employees in the workplace (workplaces).
Mr. Mohapatra said that the vaccination process has started in Bhubaneswar metropolitan corporation area from May 1 and in four other metropolitan areas of the state from May 11. However, according to the National Covid Vaccination Strategy, private hospitals can purchase vaccines directly from government-sponsored companies for people between the ages of 18 and 45 and older.
Similarly, industrial establishments can also buy vaccines and vaccinate their employees and their families at their own place. If no industrial company has its own hospital, they can also contract with the co-vaccination center of any private hospital to vaccinate their employees and their family members.
So there is no need for employees to buy covid vaccines for vaccinations in the workplace. They can take advantage of the vaccinations provided by the Government of India for people over the age of 45 and the vaccinations provided by the state government to the people aged 18 to 44 years.
As well as informing industrial and private hospitals for vaccinations in the workplace, private sectors through the Cowin portal will be able to provide on-the-job vaccinations to their employees and their family members (aged 18 to 44 years).
