BMC reduces number of CVCs owing to low turnout

Mumbai: With the city’s adult population fully vaccinated as per the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), and less number of those eligible for booster doses coming to the centres, the civic body has been gradually shutting down its vaccination centres

Mumbai: With the city’s adult population fully vaccinated as per the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), and less number of those eligible for booster doses coming to the centres, the civic body has been gradually shutting down its vaccination centres. In the last month, it has temporarily shut 50 of its Covid vaccination centres (CVCs) with zero or less than 10% footfall.

So far, 474,296 children in the age group 12-18 have got their first dose in the city out of which 93024 are in the age of 12-15. (Praful Gangurde / HT Photo)

“Vaccination centres with zero footfall or less than 10% footfall have been temporarily closed. The city has 100 active public vaccination centres with at least four vaccination centres in each ward. If the need arises, we will restart these vaccination centres,” said Suresh Kakani, additional municipal commissioner.

As the pandemic peaked in March 2020, the Covid-19 vaccination programme in India was started on January 16, 2021, first for healthcare workers and front-line workers followed by senior citizens. It was later extended to 45 plus population and gradually the age was decreased.

At the peak of the vaccination programme, the city had 457 vaccination centres out of which 290 were run by BMC. In the last two months, BMC had 150 vaccination centres.

He said reducing the number of vaccination centres was done to save money and avoid wastage of vaccines as each vaccine vial has 10 doses and must be used within 4 hours of opening.

Presently booster dose for the 18-60 age group population is allowed in private hospitals only.

Apart from booster doses for healthcare workers, frontline workers, and senior citizens, the public vaccination centres are also administering vaccines to 12-15 and 15-18 age groups. However, seeing a low turnout of parents bringing their children for Covid-19 vaccination, BMC has now decided to have camps in schools and colleges.

“We are going for camp mode as very few parents are bringing in their children for Covid-19 vaccination. We will be starting the camps in schools, colleges, and Ganpati or Navratri mandals where parents will feel comfortable in getting their child vaxxed,” said Kakani. So far, 474,296 children in the age group 12-18 have got their first dose in the city out of which 93024 are in the age of 12-15. A total of 2,86,003 in the age 12-18 have taken the second dose out of which 10912 are in the 12-15 age group.