VAX DRIVE TO RESUME TODAY: BMC GETS 57K COVISHIELD, 48K COVAXIN DOSES

MUMBAI: Mumbai received 57,000 Covishield vaccine doses and 48,000 Covaxin vaccine doses on Tuesday night, which were distributed by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to vaccine centres on Wednesday. The vaccination drive will resume across the city on Thursday. The drive was paused at over 300 public vaccine centres across Mumbai on Wednesday owing to a shortage of vaccines.

The drive was continued as usual at private vaccine centres where the stock of vaccine doses was available.

Mangala Gomare, executive health officer of the civic body’s public health department, said, “There may be a total of around 15,000-20,000 vaccine doses available at private vaccine centres on Tuesday. The fresh stock we have received will be distributed to vaccine centres on Wednesday. Vaccination will resume on Thursday.”

BMC chose not to restart vaccination in the second half of Wednesday, unlike earlier, where vaccination would resume for the day post 2pm after the stock had been distributed in the first half.

Gomare said, “We do not want to conduct the afternoon session, due to problems of overcrowding at some centres. A full session will be held on Thursday.”

On Tuesday, 22,758 beneficiaries received their first dose, and 12,049 beneficiaries received their second dose, across 428 Covid vaccination centres.

Of these, 294 vaccination centres are operated by BMC, 20 by the state or Central government, while 114 are private.