Covid-19: BMC resumes inoculation of 45+ today; only for those needing 2nd dose

The vaccination drive was suspended for those above 45 years of age until Monday due to shortage of stock. With more stock now, BMC is resuming vaccination. Keeping it only for those seeking their second dose will help avert crowding

After halting Covid vaccination for 45+ age group past Friday, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is restarting it today, but only for those in need of their second dose.

People stand in a queue to receive a dose of Covid-19 vaccine at Nair Hospital in Mumbai. (File photo)

The vaccination drive was suspended for those above 45 years of age until Monday due to shortage of stock. With more stock now, BMC is resuming vaccination. Keeping it only for those seeking their second dose will help avert crowding.

From Tuesday, city’s first drive-in vaccination centre is also expected to start in Dadar. As of now, only the second dose will be administered there.

Kiran Dighavkar, assistant municipal commissioner of BMC, on Monday said, “The parking lot has enough space for 60 to 70 vehicles. A registration stall will also be set up, but beneficiaries will be registered by the staff at the centre while waiting in the queue.”

BMC also explained why it had decided to inoculate only those eligible for their second doses. In a tweet on Monday night, the civic body said, “Due to limited stock, it is important to provide second dose to beneficiaries on time, to ensure vaccine efficacy. Once sufficient stock is available, vaccination can be made open for all, for both doses.”

This means overall 60 vaccination centre in the city will be functional on Tuesday administrating second dose in the city. These all 60 centes will be government and civic-run centres.

In case of private hospitals, the BMC has maintained that, “ As per government of India guidelines, private hospitals have to procure vaccine from manufacturers and not BMC. For 45+, list of private hospitals which have procured vaccine and their slots available are visible on Co-WIN portal along with price per dose and vaccine type.”

Meanwhile, vaccination for 18-44 age group will continue at five vaccination centres in the city wherein 2,500 slots have been booked. In Mumbai, overall 5,813 citizens in age group of 18-44 have been vaccinated followed by 862,560 in age group of 45 to 59 and 980,546 in the above 60 years of age group. If we include healthcare and frontline workers, Mumbai has vaccinated 2,459,883 people since January 16.