Even as Maharashtra gears up to open up its free COVID vaccination drive for citizens aged between 18 and 45, Mumbai on Thursday, 29 April, announced a three-day shutdown of its current inoculation campaign due to an acute shortage of vaccines.
The vaccination drive will resume on 3 May, stated Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).
“Owing to non-availability of vaccine stock, no vaccination will be conducted at any government, BMC, or private CVC for the next three days (30 April - 2 May). All efforts are being made to make more stock available and resume the drive. We urge Mumbaikars to cooperate with BMC.”BMC
Citizens would be notified as soon as vaccine stock comes in. The BMC also appealed to senior citizens not to panic or stand in long queues at the vaccination centres, assuring that those who have registered will receive the jab.
People have been standing in long queues for hours to get vaccinated, only to be turned away due to the shortage. One such citizen told ANI, “Initially, I went to a BKC (Bandra Kurla Complex) centre, but no vaccination was going on there. So, I came here (NESCO INOCULATION CENTRE) and was waiting when it was announced that vaccine stock was over.”
BMC Additional Municipal Commissioner Ashwini Bhide tweeted that vaccine was in short supply, but senior citizens will eventually get vaccinated.
Due to the shortage of jabs, Maharashtra’s vaccination figure has dropped by 1.5 lakh, as per PTI. It’s total inoculation count is just over 1.55 crore. Maharashtra recorded 66,159 new COVID cases and 771 deaths in the last 24 hours.
Meanwhile, the COVID-related restrictions in Maharashtra were extended till 15 May, the state government announced on Thursday, 29 April.
The Maharashtra cabinet on Wednesday, 28 April, decided to provide free vaccination to all citizens of Maharashtra between the age group of 18 and 45.
Meanwhile, Bharat Biotech on Thursday announced a reduction in the price of its COVID-19 vaccine, Covaxin, for states from Rs 600 per dose to Rs 400.
India on Thursday reported 3,79,257 new COVID-19 cases, 3,645 deaths and 2,69,507 discharges, as per the Union Health Ministry. The death toll in the country now stands at 2,04,832. The country’s total number of cases now stands at 1,83,76,524.
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