The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has delivered a major chunk of the COVID-19 vaccine doses it received on January 13 to the nine civic-run hospitals where the vaccination drive will kick off today. While each hospital has received different amounts of the vaccine, based on the active units they have, BMC officials said that the stock was enough to last for the next five days. The civic authorities also urged the healthcare workers to come forward and get vaccinated without being worried about its safety.

The civic body is all set to start the drive at the 40-odd units housed in the nine vaccination centres and is expected to at least vaccinate 4,000 people today. “The drive, which has been planned in two shifts will start around 11 am on both Saturday and Sunday and continue till 6 pm,” said a civic official. Further, the vaccination drive will be carried out in three phases, starting with the healthcare workers, then frontline workers and eventually people above the age of 50 years and those with co-morbidities.