Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation sets up Covid-19 vaccination centres at stations to boost drive

Vaccination centres have been set up at Vashi and Nerul railway stations

Days after attaining 100 per cent first dose vaccination, the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) is now going all out to get the city's adult population fully vaccinated. To boost its drive, it has set up vaccination centres at railway stations.

The NMMC has started vaccinating citizens at Vashi, Nerul and Ghansoli railway stations, and also plans to set up inoculation centres at other stations. Till now, about 58.80 per cent of the city's adult population has received both doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.

A health official from NMMC said, "As the lockdown has been lifted completely and even the daily cases count is low, the fear of COVID has withered away. This has resulted in people avoiding the second dose of the vaccine. Hence, we are adopting different ways to get people vaccinated."

On October 18, the NMMC declared that 100 per cent of the adult population had received at least one dose of the vaccine and 52 per cent was fully vaccinated. Since then only 6 per cent citizens has received the second dose of the vaccine.

Dr. Ratnaprabha Chavhan, head of NMMC's vaccination drive, said, "Currently we have 35 vaccination centres but we are trying to find unique ways to reach out to the maximum number of people. We are going door to door and have set up vaccination centres at stations as well."

The centres at Vashi and Nerul railway stations were started on Thursday and the one in Ghansoli on Friday. They will function from 9 am to 5 pm daily.

"We are looking at new ways to boost the vaccination drive, so that those who have taken one shot get the second dose as well," said Abhijit Bangar, commissioner, NMMC.

"We have started with these three centres at railway stations and will increase the number gradually," he added.

Vax doses in Navi Mumbai

. First dose - 11,35,297 people (102 per cent)
. Fully vaccinated - 6,50,940 people (58.80 per cent)
(Till Nov 11)

Doses given at stations

Vashi
First dose - 61
Second dose - 149
(On Nov 11 and 12)

Nerul
First dose - 22
Second dose - 28
(On Nov 11 and 12)

Ghansoli
First dose - 52
Second dose - 88
(On Nov 12)