MMR vaccine figures paint sorry picture, jab delivery crawls as supply shrinks to a trickle

Representation pic

Nearly three-and-a-half months after India launched what was billed as the world's largest vaccination programme, the drive is crawling in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR). So far, a mere 2 to 5 per cent of the population in and around the city has been administered both doses. The grim picture is the fallout of a poor supply of shots, say officials, adding that at this rate it will take more than a year to immunise the entire region. The MMR comprises Mumbai and its nearby cities such as, Navi Mumbai, Panvel, Thane, Kalyan-Dombivli, Bhiwandi, Ulhasnagar, Vasai-Virar and Mira Bhayandar.

A ‘no stock' board greets citizens outside the vaccination centre in BKC Jumbo COVID hospital on April 28. Pic/Shadab Khan

In Mumbai with more than 1 crore beneficiaries of above 18 years, less than 20 lakh have been given the first dose of which 49,000 have been fully inoculated. The BMC says it is ready to accelerate vaccine delivery provided it gets the stock. "Currently, there are 141 centres which can vaccinate more than 70,000 people daily and our aim is to increase it to 1 lakh per day. Additionally, 227 more centres, each in 227 corporator wards on the basis of health posts will be started soon. We are waiting for the vaccines," said a BMC official.

While Navi Mumbai and Mira-Bhayandar are slightly better off, Kalyan-Dombivali, which has more cases than any other cities other than Mumbai, has vaccinated just 2 per cent of its population.

About 75 per cent of those who have received their first dose in MMR continue to wait for the second shot as several centres have cancelled vaccination over the last week.

Immunisation has more or less come to a grinding halt in the past four days in the entire region. So far, a handful of the 18+ category have been given their first jab.

It may lay the path to normalcy, but vaccines are reaching MMR in a trickle. The scene is equally gloomy in the state. After 108 days, only 2.4 per cent of Maharashtra's population have received both shots, which are necessary to protect the masses against the virus that already felled 70,000 people in the state.

As per the latest data accessed by mid-day, Thane district with 1.1 citizens as per the 2011 Census has administered the first dose to only 9.92 lakh people. In Raigad district, which has a population of 26 lakh, only 2.6 lakh jabs have been provided. The pool of vaccine-seekers has widened significantly after those above 18 became eligible from May 1.

Until now, 1.56 lakh people have received at least one jab in Mira-Bhayandar. Dilip Dhole, commissioner of Mira-Bhayandar civic body told mid-day, "Mira-Bhayandar is ahead of all the cities in MMR. There are 3.25 lakh people above the age of 45 years and till now we have administered vaccines to 50 per cent of them."

Dhole said they have 20 centres that inoculate 6,500 people a day and that 48 more centres would be ready by Saturday to raise their vaccination capacity to 25,000 people a day. As per the latest data, the city with an 8.15 lakh population has 44,189 cumulative cases with 4,000 active patients. So far, COVID has claimed 1,049 lives in this corporation.

In Kalyan-Dombivali with a population of 12.5 lakh, the virus has touched about 1.30 lakh people and killed 1,279. However, about 26,000 citizens have so far got both doses. In Bhiwandi and Ulhasnagar, the picture is grimmer. Here less than 6 per cent of the population have been given the first shot and only both doses have been administered to a mere 1 per cent.

Out of 12.34 lakh jabs administered in Thane district, 1.10 lakh were Covaxin and the rest were Covishield. In Mumbai, of the total 24.56 lakh vaccines doses, 1.62 lakh were Covaxin.