Vaccination against COVID-19 in Mumbai will be suspended till May 2 as the city has run out of stock and has not received adequate supply of vaccines, a Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) official said on Thursday.
The civic body clarified that vaccination for the 18-44 age group, which is due to begin on May 1, will be postponed due to shortage of doses. It also added that those above 45 years will be given preference along with those requiring the second dose when supply is restored in the city.
“Around 63 government and 73 private centres are being used for vaccination in Mumbai. Due to inadequate supply, the administration is planning daily vaccination based on availability. With no supply, vaccination has been put on hold. We will not be able to go ahead for the next three days,” the civic official said.
He added that citizens will be informed when the vaccination drive resumes.
The civic body said only those citizens who register online will be provided vaccination. It said senior citizens should not panic as they will be given priority even though inoculation is now open for all citizens above 18 years. “Those who have taken their first dose need not worry about the delay as antibodies develop after the first dose too,” the official said.
On Thursday afternoon, Additional Municipal Commissioner Ashwini Bhide tweeted requesting senior citizens not to crowd outside vaccination centres. “All senior citizens in #Mumbai r kindly requested nt 2 crowd or stand in long queues @ #vaccination centres.Vaccine is in short supply just for now & so nt available @ all places in enough quantity. But be rest assured dat all 45+ years citizens wil eventually get vaccinated,” she tweeted.
“Even when new drive for 18-44 year age group starts, the centres available now will continue to remain active for 45+ years citizens. BMC will add at least 500 more public & Pvt CVCs fr new drive. So vaccination for 45+ shall not be compromised OR slowed down,” she wrote in another tweet.
