Vaccination drive suspended at public centres in Mumbai on Thursday, Friday

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Wednesday said they would receive fresh stock late on Thursday which will be distributed to vaccination centres on Friday, following which vaccination drive would resume of Saturday.

Vaccination drive at 315 public vaccination centres will remain suspended for two days on Thursday and Friday owing to shortage of doses. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Wednesday said they would receive fresh stock late on Thursday which will be distributed to vaccination centres on Friday, following which vaccination drive would resume of Saturday.

The decision to suspend vaccination drive has been taken due to shortage of vaccine doses. (HT FILE)

Vaccination drive has been suspended for several times in the past few months owing to shortage of vaccine doses. According to BMC officials, the civic body can start the drive in the second half on Friday, but in the past during such times, a lot of crowding was reported since morning at the centres for those coming on walk-in basis.

In a statement issued on Wednesday BMC said, “Vaccination will be closed on Thursday (August 19, 2021) and on Friday, August 20, 2021, at government and municipal vaccination centres in the BMC area due to insufficient vaccine available under the Covid-19 prevention vaccination campaign. The administration will receive the vaccine late night on August 19, 2021. It will be distributed to vaccination centres throughout the day on August 20, 2021. Vaccination will resume on Saturday (August 21, 2021).”

Meanwhile, vaccination drive at all private hospitals will be conducted as per schedule.

On Wednesday, 85,418 citizens were vaccinated in the city, taking the total number of beneficiaries to 8,243,789 since January 16, 2021, when the vaccination drive kicked off in the city.