Mumbai: Maximum turnout for Covid booster as 15,000 get jabbed

MUMBAI: The city witnessed the highest turnout for the Covid-19 booster shot on Saturday, with 15,803 Mumbaikars taking it. The overall vaccine turnout was 21,206, according to the BMC vaccine update on Saturday.
The previous highest was on June 6 when 15,120 took the precautionary shot. Most of Saturday’s jabs (12,846) were taken at private hospitals.
Booster, or precautionary, shots have been a vexed issue across the country, including Mumbai where Covid-19 cases have seen a surge in the last 15 days.
According to central government data, less than 1% of eligible adult population has taken the booster shot. In Mumbai, 7.8 lakhhave taken the booster while over 1 crore took the first Covid-19 shot.
The slight surge in booster shot intake began a week back after cases began to rise again. “The only silver lining about the surge is I’ve begun seeing a long queue of people waiting to take the booster shot,’’ said Dr Lancelot Pinto from Hinduja Hospital, Mahim. Data from around the world has shown that while the booster shot may not prevent an infection, it does reduce the severity of infection.
“Most Covid-19 patients who have consulted me in the last few weeks haven’t taken their booster shot,” said Dr Priyanka Navelkar Nadkarni, who is attached to L H Hiranandani Hospital, Powai.
One reason for the sluggish booster shot drive is that people have to take it in the private sector. While many states have begun offering it at public vaccination centres, Maharashtra hasn’t. A BMC official said there are no plans to provide booster shots at government centres. “Vaccination is voluntary. We can only create awareness of the need to take it,’’ said the doctor.