For the first time since the COVID-19 vaccination drive kickstarted in January, more than 70,000 beneficiaries were vaccinated across Mumbai. According to the data, 72,606 registered beneficiaries were inoculated on Tuesday, of which 4,533 were administered Covaxin. Seven beneficiaries showed side effects. 15 private vaccine centres did not conduct the vaccination drive due to the unavailability of the vaccine stock.
BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) officials said the news of the fresh stock arriving brought many who were waiting for the second dose. âThe city had doses to sustain the drive for two more days,â said Dr Mangala Gomare, BMCâs executive health officer.
So far, over 7.58 lakh senior citizens have taken the first dose in Mumbai and 1.73 lakh have taken both the doses. Similarly, 53,398 beneficiaries from the age group of 45-59 have taken the second dose and over 7.68 lakh have taken the first one.
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MUMBAI: Vaccine wastage in the state has dropped to 3.2% since the second phase of senior citizens and people above 45 years with comorbidities began on March 1. Earlier, it was hovering around 5%, when only healthcare workers and frontliners were taking the shots.
Vaccine wastage in Mumbai, BMC’s executive health officer Dr Mangala Gomare said, was 1%-2%. “On-spot registration really helped to cut down wastage. It has fallen further since the drive for senior citizens started,” she added.
Mumbai is now clocking around 45,000 vaccinations a day, but additional municipal commissioner Suresh Kakani on Sunday told TOI that the BMC is now planning to vaccinate almost a lakh a day. “Our target is to finish vaccination before monsoon, which is by May-end,” he said. There are an estimated 30 lakh people from the prioritized groups in Mumbai of which only six lakh have got at least one dose.
Vaccine beneficiaries, particularly from the lower-income groups, are practically missing from private hospitals in Delhi. Though some health officials said this is because one has to shell out Rs 250 at a private hospital for a jab, their numbers at government hospitals, where vaccines are free, also remains low.
Nodal officers say lack of knowledge about where to register and how to get themselves enrolled for the jab may be the key factor behind the low turnout. “Only around 10% of the people being seen here each day would be in the lower income group,” said Anil Kumar, nodal officer at Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital.