Can’t give long-term vaccination slots: Govt

MUMBAI: In an affidavit filed in the Bombay high court (HC), the state has expressed its inability to provide long-term vaccination slots. The affidavit has stated that though the Centre has allocated a month-long allocation schedule for vaccine doses, manufacturers do not provide supplies accordingly, hence it is not possible to give long-term slots.

The affidavit was filed in reply to a public interest litigation (PIL), seeking streamlining of vaccination bookings and awareness of its availability at various centres, especially for the not-so-tech-savvy citizens.

Meanwhile, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has submitted that 9 million city residents have been vaccinated so far and around 50% of bedridden persons were jabbed through home vaccination drive. BMC submitted 133 of the 3,003 victims of fake vaccination scams have been revaccinated at civic facilities, while 130 took the shots at private centres and 127 have refused to get revaccinated.

The division bench of chief justice Dipankar Datta and justice Girish Kulkarni was hearing the PILS filed by citizens Yogeeta Rajesh Vanzara and Siddharth Chandrashekhar, seeking directions to ease the use of the

Cowin app, especially for the elderly, and iron out the problems while booking vaccination slots and provide the jabs to the elderly on priority basis.

Advocate Jamsheed Master, who represented the petitioners, informed HC that the state had failed to provide week-long booking slots, though it had assured the bench of doing so in the previous hearing. Master informed the bench that vaccination centres were only posting booking slots a day prior, and they have not had vaccines for the past three days.

Responding to the claims, additional government pleader submitted the affidavit by Dr Dilip Narayan Patil, deputy director, state health welfare bureau, Pune. The affidavit stated that while the Centre had allocated vaccine plans in Mayjuly on a fortnightly basis, since August, it had issued a day-today allocation plan for the entire month to Maharashtra. However, the vaccine delivery was delayed by the manufacturers. The affidavit further stated that 70% of vaccines have been allocated for second dose. It concluded by stating that sufficient training of personnel manning the drive has been undertaken to help persons register at the centres, if they have not been able to register themselves. The final next hearing is on August 30.