Vax for 45-plus resumes after 5 days, 12k take jab in city

Nagpur: Hit badly for five days, Covid-19 vaccination of 45-plus age group resumed in city on Thursday after Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) received fresh vaccine stock a day ago. Despite availability of Covaxin doses, two centres at GMCH had to shut twice.
Mayor Dayashankar Tiwari on Thursday wrote to CM Uddhav Thackeray asking NMC be allowed to procure vaccine directly from manufacturers. He also urged all legislators of the city to give funds for it. Accordingly, leader of opposition Devendra Fadnavis and MLC Pravin Datke handed over letters committing Rs 1 crore each from legislators’ fund.
With 20,000 doses of Covishield received on Wednesday evening, NMC resumed vaccination for 45-plus age group at 87 centres in government-run hospitals and its primary health centres, satellite centres on Thursday. People in large numbers, especially senior citizens, thronged the centres from 9am. But the centres started inoculation only around 12noon when team from centres brought doses from NMC store house.
8,698 people from 45-plus age group took first and second dose. Many centres closed before normal schedule as they exhausted stock allotted to them. Some centres distributed tokens to people for Friday.
A few healthcare workers (HCW) and frontline workers (FLW) waiting for second dose of Covishield also happened to complete their vaccination on Thursday.
NMC additional municipal commissioner Ram Joshi and chief medical officer Dr Sanjay Chilkar said vaccination for 45-plus age group will continue on Friday. “Priority will be given for people due for second dose. NMC is not having sufficient doses,” they said.
NMC was left with around 10,000 doses of Covishield that will likely be used up on Friday. Vaccination will again take a hit on Saturday in case fresh stock is not received.
Vaccination of Covaxin for 45-plus continued normally at NMC’s Mahal Diagnostic Centre.
Two centres at GMCH shut down in morning after administering second dose to around 100 people. For the first time since roll out of vaccine, GMCH’s centres were shut for want of doses.
Dr Chilkar arranged 300 doses from Mahal Diagnostic Centre for them allowing them to resume inoculation. They were again shut well before closure timing of 10pm as those 300 doses were exhausted.
Dr Chilkar said, “NMC requested and got 3,000 doses of Covaxin from Bhandara last week. It helped in uninterrupted vaccination at three centres. We are trying our best to get doses from other districts or government.”
NMC received 6,000 doses of Covaxin from the state government on Wednesday. But the doses are meant for only 18-44 years age group. After allowing this age group, the central government had revised guidelines of vaccination. Centre will provide doses for HCW, FLW and 45-plus age group. State will facilitate for 18-44 years age group. Doses provided by Centre cannot be used for 18-44 years and stock of 18-44 years for 45-plus. Hence, the civic body was unable to provide doses to GMCH despite having it with it. The same is likely to continue on Friday.
With arrival of 6,000 doses of Covaxin for 18-44 years age group, NMC has increased their centres to six. 1,638 people from this age group took the jab on Thursday.
Thus, NMC conducted vaccination at 96 centres on Thursday. None of 45 private hospitals procured vaccine from manufacturers and remained closed for sixth consecutive day.
Vaccination increased to 11,906 on Thursday from just 1,688 on Wednesday. On April 30, in all 10,725 had taken the jab. Since then, the number fell down for want of doses. 4,960 got the jab on May 1 followed by 2,408 on May 2. It was 1,741 on May 3 and 1,647 on May 4.