Covid-19 vaccination in Mumbai: Where did the crowds go?

BMC considers local awareness campaigns to fight hesitancy as civic centres see a lukewarm response in June compared to April and May

After dealing with a shortage of vaccines in recent weeks, the civic body now has to contend with — vaccine hesitancy. Earlier, almost all vaccination centres saw crowds, which the BMC had a tough time controlling. Out of the city’s one crore citizens aged above 18 years, only 37 lakh have been vaccinated and yet the public at centres has reduced now. The civic body is now looking at undertaking awareness campaigns at the local level to improve vaccination. 

Between June 1 and June 20, civic centres administered 2.85 lakh vaccine doses, of which 1.82 lakh were first doses. The average number of daily first doses was 9,100.

To be able to manage crowds better, the civic body split the group of 18-44-year-olds into two and allowed vaccination for those aged 30-44 years starting Monday. 

Civic officials said the vaccination of transgenders is hit by hesitancy and lack of IDs

Civic centres administered 32,298 first doses on Monday and 59,607 first doses on Tuesday. The situation at the centres, however, was different from when the drive opened for those aged 18-44 years on May 1, when centres were inundated with people. The overall response to the drive so far appears to be lukewarm.

“Before we started vaccination for people aged 45 to 59 years on April 1, the response of senior citizens was on the decline. Meanwhile, the second wave peaked and, more and more people started coming for the vaccine. When the central government opened vaccination for the 18 to 44 years group on May 1, the crowd increased in the third and fourth weeks of April out of fear of missing out on the vaccine,” said an officer closely associated with the vaccination programme.

The vaccination for senior citizens started on March 1 but only 9.3 lakh out of the estimated 25 lakh citizens aged above 60 years have come for vaccination. 

Similarly, though the vaccines have been available for people aged 45 to 59 years from April 1, only 12 lakh from this group have got the dose, out of an estimated 20 lakh.

Have people relaxed?

So are people relaxed because of the second wave receding? Suresh Kakani, additional municipal commissioner, said, “We cannot draw such conclusions immediately. But it is for sure that anxiety over the availability of vaccines has reduced. People know that they will get a vaccine today or tomorrow and so there wasn’t much crowd at the centres.”

Another officer added, “Those who were eager to take the vaccine and can afford to pay for it have already taken it. Others are either waiting for free doses or have misconceptions. Some communities of transgenders look at the vaccines as life-threatening, they are also facing issues related to identity cards. People living on daily wages have the fear of losing a few days’ income in case they get a fever. Some elderly people and disabled people cannot move out of their home.”  

“If any group or NGOs approach us, we send our medical teams to create awareness among them so that no one left out in the programme,” said Kakani.  Rajul Patel, chairman of the health committee of the BMC, said, “Many people in slums are waiting for free vaccines. It is now our duty to give them technical support to register. Some have misconceptions, but they will come forward once they get to know the experience of their neighbours.”

9,100
Avg. daily first doses in June

1.82 lakh
No. of first doses in June so far

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