Mumbai: No takers, no stock for Covid-19 vaccines

A man is vaccinated at the Nair Hospital. Pic/Ashish Raje

The declining figures of COVID-19 patients in the city have also decreased the desire to get the vaccine against it. Once people stood in long queues at municipal vaccination centres, now these places don't report even a single jab in a day.

The stocks of Covishield and Corbevax with the BMC are also over, as the state health department has allegedly not provided them. Only few thousand doses of Covaxin are left. An official said the Centre has not been providing the vaccines.

According to the civic vaccination report, in the past three days, only 185 people turned up for jabs in Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and government centers. On December 8, 49 people were vaccinated, the next day 55 were jabbed, and on the 10, 81 people got the vaccine.

People queued up at the BKC Jumbo COVID-19 Vaccination Centre. File pic/Shadab Khan

A senior BMC official said, "For the past two months vaccination figures barely crossed the three-digit mark. There were few takers in private hospitals but there was very little response at BMC and government vaccination centers." In 2021 the BMC had opened more than 300 vaccination centers across the city so that the maximum number of people got vaccinated. Currently, there are 65 civic vaccination centers. Another official from the BMC health department said, "We don't have stock of Covishield and Corbevax. In October we asked the state health department for them but haven't received the stocks. We have around 5,000 doses of Covaxin. Now the threat of COVID-19 is almost gone so people are least bothered about vaccination. Only youngsters who are going abroad, or participating in a competition, or those with parents who are bothered about their safety have been coming for the vaccine."

Also read: Mumbai: Row over child ICU at JJ hospital

State Immunisation Officer Dr Sachin Desai said, "There was a time when there was a huge demand for the vaccine. But now as the virus has changed, the behaviour of people too, has. In a single day, not even a thousand people across the state are taking the vaccine. The Centre has also stopped giving us vaccines."

However, Executive Health Officer of the BMC Dr Mangala Gomare said, "As per the guidelines of the technical committee, one must take a precautionary dose of the vaccine and teenagers who have been recommended two doses must complete them."

Dr Hemlata Arora, senior consultant at Nanavati Max Super Speciality Hospital said, "The overall intensity of the disease has gone down, so even if people do not take vaccines then it is okay. But there has to be a reasonable supply of vaccines so if someone wants to take them, they can avail private health facilities."

Dr Behram Pardiwala, director, internal medicine, Wockhardt hospital said, "You can't blame the government if it is not giving vaccines free of cost. It has fulfilled its responsibility. But it must carry on Information, Education & Communication for people."

1,08,89,395
No of first doses given

98,08,155
No of second doses given

14,47,640
No of precautionary doses given in the city