As BMC focuses on working-class, those between 18 and 29 will have to wait for more time for free shots; private hospitals planning to expand drive
More than 70,000 shots are being administered daily. Pic/Ashish Raje
After halting vaccination for citizens over the age of 18 for one-and-a-half months, the BMC has decided to let people above 30 take the shots at civic-run centres.
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While the corporation has started drives for students who would be going abroad for higher studies and lactating mothers, it will now focus on the working population. Those in the 30-44 age category have been allowed to walk in from Monday onwards.
BMC officials said barring 10-12 centres currently inoculating international students, over 200 civic vaccination points will administer jabs to the new category. However, those between 18 and 29 will have to wait for some more time for jabs at pvt centres.
With no access to civic centres, the younger lot has been thronging private hospitals over the past few weeks. While more than 44 lakh citizens have been vaccinated so far, over 20 lakh of them between 18-44 years have been inoculated at private centres.
A senior BMC official said, “Gradually, we will start the drive for all but we don’t want everyone to rush in and crowd the centres. We will be planning step by step.”
Private hospitals are gearing up to expand the drive and are aiming to start vaccination at all 113 private centres. While there are over 50,000 shots adminisered at private facilities, these establishments wish to hit the 1 lakh mark, said Gautam Bhansali, chief coordinator of private hospitals.
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