Mumbai: Age group 18-44 flocks to private players for jab

People queue for the jab at Sheetal Baug society in Walkeshwar. File pic/Bipin Kokate

The young population of the city - 18 years to 44 years - has turned to private players to get vaccinated against Covid-19. With private hospitals managing to get their stock of vaccines from manufacturing companies directly, the group is getting appointments online for the same as the public vaccination centres are currently shut for them. In a month's time since the drive was opened for the age group, a total of 2.38 lakh beneficiaries have been inoculated and majority of these have been in the past 10 days at private hospitals.

The vaccination drive began for this age group from May 1, though the civic body was not prepared to inoculate them. On May 12, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) announced that the drive for the age group will be shut. However, four private centres had started to inoculate citizens and many from this age group started going to them in large numbers.

Also Read: Vasai Virar City Municipal Corporation begins door-to-door vaccination with nine buses

On May 12, the total number of beneficiaries inoculated from this age group was 45,000 but on May 31, the total number had gone up to 2.38 lakh. Of these, 2 lakh were vaccinated through private hospitals. There are 31 private hospitals with vaccine stocks to inoculate citizens. Many hospitals are also tying up with co-operative housing societies and giving vaccines to residents because of which the numbers have risen.

The vaccination drive in the city has started to pick up pace as private hospitals are procuring vaccine stock and the BMC has allowed walk-ins for various categories. A civic official said, "The public centres don't have much of a crowd as there are over 227 of them across the city. Those aged 45 and above are walking in at public centres to get their vaccines and those in the age group of 18 to 44 are getting their appointments online and taking their jabs." But if civic sources are to be believed, the BMC is not likely to start vaccinations for the age group 18 to 44 any time soon.

Meanwhile, after too much crowding of students at - Kasturba, Cooper and Rajawadi centres - the BMC has decided that it will give only 300 doses for students who want to travel abroad for foreign education purposes. The BMC has so far vaccinated 1,875 students in the past two days.