A sanitation worker was given the first COVID-19 vaccine as the Odisha government began its mass vaccination drive at 161 centres across the State on Saturday.

The worker — identified as 51-year-old Biranchi Naik, has been working at Capital Hospital for the past 30 years — received a Covaxin jab.

“I would be lying if I say I was not scared before taking the vaccine. However, when the Prime Minister and Chief Minister have been giving assurances on vaccination, no one should be worried,” said Naik.

The worker, while interacting with Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, said he was feeling fine after getting the first dose.

Patnaik interacted and took feedback from those who were immunised in different districts on the first day.

“Currently, the second phase of enumeration of police and fire service personnel is underway and employees of municipal administration will be enumerated in the third phase by January 25,” said the Health Secretary. The State will count elderly people above 50 and people with co-morbidities in the fourth phase.

 “This is good news for us. A long wait finally comes to end with the vaccination programme. We again seek the cooperation of doctors and health workers, who have worked hard for the past 10 months for the success of the current vaccination programme,” he said.

The State government has decided to pause the vaccination drive for a day on Sunday in order to observe the impact of the vaccine. The drive will resume on Monday.

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