First day, second dose: Old rush missing in new schedule in Kolkata

KOLKATA: Nilanjan Dutta, a septuagenarian and a resident of Regent Estate, couldn’t believe his eyes when he reached a Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC)-run vaccination centre in the neighbourhood on Monday morning to receive his Covishield second dose. The centre wore a deserted look at 10am with only five persons in a queue to register their names for the second dose.
“At first, I thought something was wrong with the vaccination process and was preparing to return home when a KMC staff asked me to stand in queue and register for the jab. I was administered the shot in 30 minutes,” said Dutta, who had to return back twice in the past 10 days without getting the jab due to an acute shortage of vaccines.

Dutta was among 30 people who had received the second dose from the centre. The scene was similar at a majority of KMC-run vaccination clinics and mega centres. At the end of the day, most of them were left with a surplus of Covishield vials as few turned up to take the second Covishiled or Covaxin dose.
Monday marked the beginning of the alternate-vaccination schedule for recipients of first and second doses. While only recipients of second doses will be vaccinated at the KMC clinics and mega centres on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, first dose recipients will be entertained on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.
According to a KMC health department official, the civic body had allocated 150 Covishield doses to each clinic and 250 second doses to each mega centre on Monday morning. However, less than 30% of the stock was used in clinics and mega centres, conceded a civic official associated with the vaccination drive.
“Each Covishield vaccination clinic has sent back around 70% of the stock we had provided. Similarly, the Covishield mega centres couldn’t consume more than 30% of the stock. Now we are left with a buffer stock, which will be used in the coming days to clear the fresh backlog,” said a KMC health department official.
According to a medical officer posted at a KMC vaccination clinic in Tollygunge, the initial response to the change in the civic body’s vaccination schedule was surprising.
“Going by our own estimates, we need to clear a good second dose pendency. Now there is no dearth of vaccines. We anticipate a rush of recipients of the second dose from early next week. If the supply remains normal, we may be able to clear a major part of the backlog by early next month,” the civic medical officer said.