25 lakh Mumbaikars eligible for next stage of vaccination drive

Following the announcement of a nationwide vaccination programme for those between 15 and 18 years of age and third dose for a few categories, including health and frontline workers, the BMC will require about 25 lakh additional shots for the city, said officials. It plans to rope in junior colleges once it rolls out vaccination for Mumbai's 9 lakh teenagers eligible for the doses.

The exact guidelines for the next phase of vaccination are yet to reach the BMC and they need clarity on many aspects, said officials. But the corporation has started gearing up to administer around 25 lakh additional doses. There are nearly 12 lakh senior citizens, 2.35 lakh front line workers and 1.9 lakh health workers who would be eligible for the ‘precaution' dose, apart from the adolescent population of 9 lakh who will be getting the first dose. While the vaccination for the 15-18 category is scheduled to kick off from January 3, the ‘precaution' dose will start on January 10.

A college student receives a dose of Covid vaccine, at Smt. Mithibai Motiram Kundnani College at Bandra West on October 25. File pic

"The BMC will give training to teams for vaccination of adolescents if required. The vaccination can be started with 400 existing centres. We will rope in colleges for better access to the students," said Suresh Kakani, additional commissioner of the BMC. The civic body will organise vaccination drives in colleges.

"There are many things yet to clear. Like the vaccine for children, the number of doses, the gap between the doses, method of giving a vaccine, etc. Similarly, the gap between the second dose and the precaution dose should be cleared in the next two weeks," said another official from the BMC. She added, "It will depend upon the supply of vaccines. We have our infrastructure ready. But if more than 25 lakh people are eligible for vaccines simultaneously, the demand of vaccines will obviously increase." So far, 99 lakh people have taken their first dose and 78 lakh both jabs. It means, around 22 lakh people are yet to receive the second dose.