Amid shortage of Covishield doses, civic officials offer Corbevax, but people are hesitant to take the brand’s COVID vaccine
Recipients at a vaccination centre. BMC officials say the city only has 2,000-3,000 Covishield doses at present. Pic/Ashish Raje
Facing a shortage of Covishield vaccine, the BMC offered Corbevax as the booster shot, but it has received a pushback from the recipients, said officials. Very few eligible adults have said yes to Corbevax, while others are still looking for Covishield.
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According to the BMC health officials, only 2,000-3,000 doses of Covishield are left across the city, that too with six-seven vaccination centres.
A health official, requesting anonymity, said, “We haven’t received Covishield from the state. We are getting only Corbevax and Covaxin. So we are suggesting people take Corbevax [as a booster], but they are hesitant. We can’t force it on anyone.” He added that there is a low response to anti-COVID vaccination in general, owing to a drop in cases.
Sachin Singh, a resident of Dahisar, said, “I took the first and second doses of the Covishield vaccine and I am looking for a booster dose of the same. I approached two to three centres, but I was told they don’t have Covishield. They said they have Corbevax.” The central government in August allowed booster of Corbevax to the recipients of Covishield and Covaxin.
Aniket Nevrekar, who also wants a Covishield booster shot, said, “Apart from the BMC, I approached a private hospital, but no one has Covishield. In the beginning, there was a shortage of Covaxin, and now Covishield.”
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Dr Mangala Gomare, BMC’s executive health officer, told mid-day, “We have not got the fresh stock of Covishield vaccine. Currently, very few centres have some vials of Covishield. We have Covaxin and Corbevax, and people can take it.”
Dr Sachin Desai, the state immunisation officer, said, “In June, we received around 40 lakh doses of Covishield, which we distributed to the districts as per their need and performance. Currently, there is a limited stock of the vaccine and few takers. However, we have Corbevax that can be given as a booster dose even if one has taken Covishield or Covaxin.”
The Corbevax vaccine has been developed by Hyderabad-based Biological E. Limited, in collaboration with Texas Children’s Hospital Centre for Vaccine Development and Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas. It is India’s first indigenously developed protein sub-unit vaccine against the Coronavirus.
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