Navi Mum waiting for vax

NAVI MUMBAI: For more than a week now, Nerul resident Nikita More, was desperately trying to get a second dose vaccination slot for her 73-year-old father. The 36-year-old More tried booking on the application and even called up the centres but to no avail. Like her, several other residents of Navi Mumbai were uncertain if the city would have vaccine stock the next day and would they be able to get the jab.

More said, “It was easy when we took the first dose on March 8 at a private hospital. We were keen on the same hospital but it was stocked out most of the time. Finally, after a week of anxiety, we could get a slot on Thursday, which was a major relief. I also tried booking a slot for myself. However, the drive has not started for above 18.”

Many people are struggling to get their second shots in Navi Mumbai. There have been people returning home from the vaccination centres with no vials available in most of the Urban Primary Health Centres.

After receiving 27,000 Covishield and 1,000 Covaxin vials, on April 26 and April 27, 13,139 and 10,670 people, respectively, were vaccinated. The shortage again cropped up on April 28, when merely 5,606 people were vaccinated and on Thursday morning, the NMMC had no vaccine stock. The vaccination resumed on Thursday afternoon after getting 12,500 Covishield vaccines.

“The vials we got on Thursday can last for a day. We’d again face shortage,” NMMC chief, Abhijit Bangar, said.

Meanwhile, at Panvel City Municipal Corporation too, the centres were shut on Thursday with the administration not knowing when the new stock would reach them.

BACHCHAN KUMAR/HT A woman gets jabbed in Vashi on Thursday.