‘VAX CENTRES OPERATED AT FULL CAPACITY ON SATURDAY’

MUMBAI: The vaccination figures released by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Saturday’s show that 219,727 beneficiaries were vaccinated, of which 154,703 received their first shot, and 65,024 beneficiaries received their second shot. However, this figure also includes the vaccination done at private hospitals on August 12 and 13 (Thursday and Friday) when public vaccination centres were closed due to a shortage of doses. On Saturday alone, civic authorities estimated that over 150,000 beneficiaries were vaccinated.

Suresh Kakani, additional municipal commissioner in-charge of the civic public health department, said, “The figures released on Saturday also show the vaccinations conducted at private hospitals on Thursday and Friday. However, on Saturday alone, we operated vaccination centres at full capacity. Mumbai’s capacity is to administer around 150,000 doses per day at public and private centres.”

On Saturday, vaccination centres saw a higher turnout. A senior civic official said, “This was partly because vaccination was closed at public centres for two days in a row. Also, now that train travel is allowed for fully vaccinated beneficiaries, past week we have seen a larger turnout at all vaccination centres.” On Thursday night, BMC received 170,000 doses, which were distributed to vaccination centres on Friday. Kakani said, “These doses will be sufficient for the vaccination drive over the next two days. Anticipating this, we vaccinated every individual who turned up on Saturday.”

On Saturday, 84,105 beneficiaries were vaccinated at 296 BMC centres, of which, 54,426 beneficiaries received their first dose, and 29,679 received their second dose; 5,997 beneficiaries were vaccinated at 19 state and Centre-operated vaccine centres, of which 3,516 received first dose and 2,481 received second dose.