‘Mumbai’s target population can be vaxxed by 2021-end or start of 2022 depending on stock’ – Hindustan Times

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) can vaccinate the entire target population of Mumbai, around 9,000,000 citizens above the age of 18 years, by the end of the year or start of next year, if there is no shortage of vaccine doses, say civic officials. As of Wednesday, 2,083,893 citizens or 23% of the target population, have been fully vaccinated.

Currently, the BMC has the capacity to vaccinate 150,000 citizens per day. Depending on the availability of vaccine doses, the BMC administers above 30,000 shots per day.

According to latest figures from August 18, a total of 6,159,896 beneficiaries have been vaccinated with their first dose. Vaccination drive was suspended in the city on August 19 and 20.

However, civic authorities say it is not possible to commit to any timeline. A senior civic official said, “We cannot commit to any timeline, as we often face a shortage of doses. Mathematical calculations regarding when we will complete vaccinating the entire target population prove futile. Currently, we have the capacity to vaccinate about 150,000 beneficiaries per day. If Mumbai gets enough doses, we can even scale up this capacity.”

Within the past 10 days, Mumbai has faced a shortage of vaccine doses twice. Vaccination at public centres in the city was suspended last Thursday and Friday (August 12 and 13), and again this Thursday and Friday (August 19 and 20). Vaccination will resume in the city on Saturday, as Mumbai received 130,000 doses on Thursday night.

In the days immediately following the arrival of fresh vaccine stock in the city, a higher number of beneficiaries are vaccinated in the city, BMC data shows. Vaccine centres had operated at full capacity last Saturday (August 14), and over 150,000 beneficiaries were vaccinated at public vaccine centres in the city, as the BMC had freshly received 170,000 doses.

Data shows that over 2,840,000 citizens are yet to receive their first dose, and a total of over 6,916,000 the second dose. While Covaxin requires a gap of 28 days between two doses, Covishield requires a gap of at least 84 days.

Dr Rahul Pandit, a member of Maharashtra government’s Covid-19 task force, said, “It is a mathematically logical calculation that Mumbai should be able to vaccinate its remaining citizens by the end of the year or a little later. However, we are not vaccinating enough. Recently, vaccine numbers have gone up comparatively, but we need to increase the pace, especially with the city opening up.”