BMC gets 1.5 lakh Covishield vaccines, oxygen supply normal: Civic chief

MUMBAI: The Mumbai civic body on Sunday said it has received 1.5 lakh Covishield vaccines and 8,000 doses of Covaxin, and all the vaccination centres in the city will be functional on April 26.

Earlier this month, 75 of the 120 vaccination centres across Mumbai, including a jumbo COVID-19 facility in business district BKC, had suspended inoculation due to a shortage of doses.

"We have received a stock of 1.5 lakh Covishield vaccines today. All the vaccination centres in Mumbai shall be functional tomorrow," municipal commissioner I S Chahal said.

He said Covaxin will be available only at select centres for the second dose due to "extremely limited" existing stock.

Chahal said that all the issues relating to oxygen supply under the municipal corporation stand resolved now.

"The oxygen supply situation is normal," he said.

On April 24, 44,719 persons were administered vaccine doses in Mumbai and a total of 22,57,118 people have been vaccinated so far.

Mumbai had on Saturday recorded 5,888 new COVID-19 cases, the lowest daily rise in infections since March 30.

Increased testing and isolation of patients alongwith the exodus of migrant labourers may have led to the decline, officials had said.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said the available stock will help in smooth vaccination in Mumbai for at least three days from April 26 to April 28.

The stock of Covaxin is very limited and the preference will be given for administering the second dose at few centers.

Under the COVID-19 Prevention Vaccination Campaign, 59 vaccination centers have been set up by the BMC and the government and a total of 132 vaccination centers have been set up in 73 private hospitals.

However, due to limited availability of vaccines, vaccination has to be temporarily stopped at some centers from time to time, the statement said.

The vaccination campaign is being planned on a daily basis keeping in view the available stocks of vaccines as the priority is given to the second dose recipients.

The stock of 1.50 lakh doses of Covishield and 8,000 doses of Covaxin has been taken to the Regional Vaccine Storage Centre at suburban Kanjurmarg.

The distribution of vaccines has been started from Kanjurmarg to all the immunisation centers in the limits of the Mumbai Municipal Corporation, and to government and private centres, keeping in view their average daily requirement, the statement said.