Mumbai Stops Vaccination For 3 Days, Civic Body Cites Vaccine Shortage

Just a day to go for the new, huge phase of vaccination, Mumbai shut its vaccination drive for three days citing lack of adequate doses. Vaccination will not take place in Mumbai starting today, the Greater Mumbai Municipal Corporation has said. The Centre has set May 1 as the date for beginning vaccination of 18 to 45-year-olds as younger people are seen to be particularly susceptible to the virus in its second wave. The current vaccine shortage will also push back their vaccination dates, the civic body said.

"Vaccination in Mumbai will be completely closed for three days from Friday, April 30, 2021 to Sunday, May 2, 2021 due to depletion of available vaccines," the civic body said in a notice on Thursday.

The civic body said if it receives vaccine stock in the meantime, people will be informed through media and social media.

The administration has appealed to the senior citizens and the 45-plus age group not to panic or crowd outside the vaccination centres. Those who have registered for the vaccine will receive it, the civic body said.

Ashwini Bhide, the Additional Municipal Commissioner in Mumbai's civic body Brihanmumbai Corporation, tweeted earlier on Thursday that vaccinations of the 18 to 45-year age group will start only after enough vaccines are available, and "not exactly on 1st May".

Since Wednesday, the shortage has pushed down the state's vaccination figures, data shows a 1.5 lakh drop. Wednesday's inoculation figure was 2,37,700 -- down from 3,88,247 doses on Tuesday.

The state's overall inoculation count currently stands at over 1.55 crore.

Besides Maharashtra, several other states, including Punjab, Delhi and Tamil Nadu, have flagged low vaccine stocks. Punjab health minister Balbir Sidhu said the fresh round of vaccinations can begin only after they receive "up to 10 lakh doses".

Though the daily surge figures in Mumbai has dipped, Maharashtra reported 66,159 new cases and 771 deaths on Thursday.