1,004 in 18-44 age group get the shot in Mumbai

According to Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) officials, 2,500 people in the 18-44 age group will be vaccinated on Sunday

A total of 1,004 citizens in the 18-44 age group were vaccinated in Mumbai, the first day of the third phase of the Covid-19 inoculation drive, according to state health department data.

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According to Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) officials, 2,500 people in the 18-44 age group will be vaccinated on Sunday. The 2,500 slots were open for booking from 7pm and were filled by 8pm, said the officials. Vaccination for the 45+ age group stays suspended owing to shortage of doses and will resume only after getting vaccines from the Central government, confirmed the officials.

Late on Friday, the BMC had announced it would open five centres from Saturday for the 18-44 age group with limited doses (all Covishield) available, even as the ongoing vaccination drive for those above 45 years was suspended for three days in Mumbai due to inadequate supply. The 1,004 doses were made available to the BMC by state government.

Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray had on Friday announced that vaccination for the 18-44 age group will begin from May 1, as scheduled, but with limited slots due to scarcity of doses and it would be gradually increased after the state government manages to procure more doses.

In Mumbai alone, the BMC has an estimated 9 million people between the ages of 18 and 44, who would need vaccination through public and private vaccination centres.

Expectedly, people were keen to get themselves vaccinated as early as possible.

According to BMC officials, within 90 minutes after its announcement on Friday night, all slots were booked. The five centres where vaccination began at 1pm are Nair Hospital, Rajawadi Hospital in Ghatkopar, Cooper Hospital in Vile Parle, SevenHills Hospital in Andheri, and the BKC’s jumbo facility. Each centre vaccinated 200 beneficiaries each. Vaccination in the 18-44 age group is being done only at these five centres due to shortage of doses, BMC said in a statement on Saturday. The statement said, “BMC is making all arrangements to vaccinate maximum beneficiaries.”

According to BMC officials, vaccination for 18-44 years of age group will be done only on basis of appointment through the Centre’s Cowin portal, and no walk-in vaccination will be conducted. The vaccination duration will be from 1pm to 6pm.

Suresh Kakani, additional municipal commissioner, BMC, said, “We will start vaccination for 45+ age group only after getting at least 100,000 vaccine doses. On the other hand, the vaccination for 18-44 age group for now will continue with the available vaccine stock.” According to BMC officials, it has around 19,000 doses of Covidshield in its stock for vaccinating 18-44 age group, and this will be used for vaccinating on an appointment basis only.

43-year-old Ajay Maurya, an IT professional from Kandivli who took the vaccine at Cooper Hospita,l said, “I came to know last night at around 11.30 pm that vaccination is going to start from tomorrow, and this is when I started to try for getting an appointment. I was continuously trying to get appointment for two hours after which I got one at around 1.45 am. My experience was very good, and the arrangements were very good at Cooper Hospital as people are allowed only with appointments.”

Maurya added, “There was not much rush as compared to the rush there for 45+ age group vaccination. There were around 50 people in the queue, which is bearable. I along with my wife both got vaccinated. I wanted to get the vaccine since I wish to start going to my office soon. I know the vaccine will not be 100% helpful, but it will at least protect me from getting severely infected, and hence I feel all should get the vaccine.”

Another, 34-year-old Ambika Poojary, a teacher, received the jab at Rajawadi Hospital on Saturday. Poojary, a resident of Sion, said, “Though my work is going to be online for next few months I was waiting to get vaccinated since long. This was one of the reasons I stayed up and booked my appointment at around 2.15am.”

Poojary added, “My experience at the vaccination centre was good and we reached the centre at 7.45am, considering my husband had got a slot of 10am, that was cancelled later. There was a long queue for the vaccination, but I feel the overall experience was good, and I have not experienced any complications post vaccination. I also urge all citizens who are eligible to go and get vaccinated.”

While all appointments got booked within hours after giving appointments was started, several citizens took to social media expressing their displeasure over not being able to book appointment for vaccine.

A user, Sanjay P, said: “Unable to see any vaccination slots in Mumbai, for all other cities like Pune, Nagpur, slots are available. Not sure what’s the problem with Cowin app for only Mumbai city specifically.”

Another Twitter user Gunjan Lahiri said, “Why are the vaccination centres not being updated on the app? I heard there are five sites in Mumbai that are vaccinating the 18+ but when you search, it says “no vaccination centres available for booking.”

However, BMC officials said today was a token start of the vaccination drive. It will start in full fledged manner once adequate stock arrives.

Meanwhile, Mumbai mayor Kishori Pednekar told reporters on Saturday morning that citizens should not rush to the vaccination centres unless they have been given a slot.

“If you have registered but have not received a message, don’t go to the centre and crowd for no reason,” she said.

The civic body has also appealed to citizens to wear double masks if they are going for vaccination.

22 year old Andheri resident, Priyanka Minda who got vaccinated at BKC said, “My experience with getting an appointment and getting vaccinated both was very smooth. I managed to get the appointment within five minutes and also during vaccination there was no queue or crowding. It was done with proper Covid protocols and social distancing.”

Minda added, “The reason for taking it on the first day is because earlier when vaccination started for 45+ age group, there was no rush earlier, and later everyone started flocking. I wanted to avoid getting vaccinated in rush and so opted for it. Today or tomorrow everyone has to get vaccinated.”

Another 34-year-old Andheri resident Pankaj Ahuja said, “My work nature is such that I have to meet a lot of people and hence it is better I take the vaccine soonest. We have been doing testing, tracing and treating since a year now and it cannot be the solution ultimately we all should get vaccinated. My experience at Cooper Hospital was very good and there was not much crowding too

A 22-year- old Andheri resident, Priyanka Minda, who got vaccinated at BKC, said, “My experience with getting an appointment and getting vaccinated both was very smooth. I managed to get the appointment within five minutes and also during vaccination there was no queue or crowding. It was done with proper Covid protocols and social distancing.”

Minda added, “The reason for taking it on the first day is because earlier when vaccination started for 45+ age group, there was no rush earlier, and later everyone started flocking. I wanted to avoid getting vaccinated during the rush and so opted for it. Today or tomorrow, everyone has to get vaccinated.”

Another 34-year-old Andheri resident, Pankaj Ahuja, said, “My work nature is such that I have to meet a lot of people and hence it is better I take the vaccine as soon as possible. We have been doing testing, tracing and treating since a year now and it cannot be the solution. Ultimately we all should get vaccinated. My experience at Cooper Hospital was very good and there was not much crowding too.”

Meanwhile, vaccination for 45 years and above could not be held across the state for the second day as the state is yet to get supply of vaccine doses from the Centre. In a release issued by the ministry of health and family welfare informed on Saturday that they have allocated around 2,327,510 doses for the first fortnight of this month.

“We have received the allocation letter from the Centre but don’t know when we are going to receive the stock, said a senior official privy to the development.

“No centre across the state has the stock and thus the drive could not be conducted on Saturday. We are waiting for the supply and will resume the drive in no time,” health minister Rajesh Tope told HT.

(with inputs from Faisal Malik)