Mumbaikers Travel Long Distances To Get Their Booster Shots As BMC Reduced Number Of Vaccination Centres

Mumbai has been reporting a sudden spike in the number of Covid-19 infections, with over 400 affected cases every day. As of August 10, the spike has reportedly gone up by 79 per cent and was met up with a new challenge of insufficient vaccination centres to administer the booster doses.

The demand for vaccination was rather low in the initial couple of months of 2022, and in response to this, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) shut down many of the vaccination centres across the state. The number of centres dropped down to 83 from as many as 290 recorded in January.

Travelling Distances To Get Jabbed

However, after the booster shots were made free of cost starting from July 15 and with a rise observed in the Covid-19 cases, people have once again started flocking to the vaccination centres.

The Indian Express reported that many residents from Dahisar have to travel all the way to Borivali to the BMC-run Hospitals to get their third shots and booster doses, as all centres at Dahisar shut down. Many people between the age groups of 18-59 had delayed their paid booster shots and registered for it after it was declared free of cost as part of the 75-day Covid Amrit Mahotsav programme.

The first two weeks of July had recorded daily vaccination rates to be around 6,000, and after the announcement of the free shots, a footfall of around 9,000-12,000 was observed per day. This indicates that the numbers have doubled, and many more people travel long distances to receive the shot.

However, the waiting period has decreased considerably due to the increased footfall. With more people coming in, the vials can be opened and administered without extending the waiting period.

Officials Are Looking Into The Concern

Officials have conveyed the concerns to the BMC, who have assured that they are looking into the matter, especially in localities that are observing more footfall. They have also addressed the shortage of vials in many wards, as the supply from the Centre had lowered due to the less demand earlier. As of August 10, Mumbai accounted for about 31,310 vials of Covishield and 40,770 vials of Covaxin.

However, they also specified that an increased number of people approaching the centres meant a shorter waiting period. Earlier, the centres refused to inoculate people until an adequate number had turned up, sufficient enough to open the dosages. On average, people had to wait for at least 50 minutes, and now it has come down to not more than 20 minutes of waiting time.

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