COVID-19: 1.6 lakh vaccine vials arrive in Mumbai; civic sources say fresh stock enough for next 3 days

Notices were pasted at the entrance of the BKC centre after it ran out of jabs on Sunday. Pic/Sameer Markande

As the city's acute vaccine shortage continues, 94 centres remained non-operational on Sunday. However, in a positive development, the BMC received 1.58 lakh vaccine doses on Sunday and it has started distributing the stock among government and private centres. Civic sources said that this would help have a smooth vaccination drive for at least the next three days.

Meanwhile, as the stock of Covaxin is limited, those beneficiaries who need to be administered the second dose, are being given preference. The civic body has set up 59 vaccination centres and 73 private hospitals conduct the drive on their premises.

However, on Sunday, hardly 38 centres were functioning due to limited availability of vaccines.

Requesting anonymity, a civic official said, "The vaccination drive is being planned on a daily basis based on the available stock. Priority is being given to those who are coming in for the second doses. But as we have received 1.50 lakh doses of Covishield and 8,000 doses of Covaxin, the private centres should now be able to re-start the drive. The stock has been taken to the Regional Vaccine Storage Center at Kanjurmarg, from where it is being distributed. However, vaccination is likely to start late on Monday at some centres."

Meanwhile, a total of 23,419 beneficiaries - senior citizens, health care and frontline workers and those above 45 years of age with comorbidities - were vaccinated across the city on Sunday. So far, 22,37,283 beneficiaries have been inoculated. A total of three cases of adverse effects were reported on Sunday.

About 9,802 senior citizens, 10,919 people above 45 years of age with comorbidities, 1,175 health care workers and 1,523 frontline workers were administered the shots on Sunday.