A total of 2,524 out of the 3,500 shortlisted beneficiaries have so far been vaccinated in the first seven sessions of the Covid-19 immunization drive conducted by the health department of the Mira Bhayandar Municipal Corporation (MBMC) till Wednesday 27, January.
While the progress in terms of target and achievement per day hovers above 76 percent, an average of 40 percent (2,524 out of the 6312 beneficiaries) have been immunized so far.
Initially three centers including- a private hospital in Mira Road, the jumbo Covid-19 facility in Bhayandar (east) and Bharat Ratna Pandit Bhimsen Joshi Civil Hospital in Bhayandar (west) were earmarked as vaccination centers where 100 doses had to be administered to beneficiaries per center, per day.
“While two more private health care facilities in Mira Road have been tagged as vaccination centers from 25, January, the target of the day has now been enhanced from 300 to 1,000 expected beneficiaries.” informed MBMC’s health officer- Dr. Anjali Patil.
As per official data, 268 (89 percent) out of the 300 short-listed health workers were vaccinated on the first day (16, January), following which the drive was suspended for two days on Sunday and Monday owing to technical glitches in the Cowin application. After resumption, the count was reduced to 194 (65 % ), 221 (74%), 249 (83%), 277 (92%), 622 (62%) and 693 (69%) on ensuing days in compliance to the four day-a-week vaccination pattern including Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.
According to senior officials in the healthcare department, none of the beneficiaries have reported about any major adverse effects following the vaccination, however, nearly 69 people complained of minor adverse events following immunization (AEFI) involving mild fever, headache and body-pain. However, none of them needed hospitalization, officials said.
The MBMC has received its first batch of 8,000 doses of Covishield vaccines from the Pune-based Serum Institute of India (SII). A list of around 6,312 medico’s and front-line workers from 21 public and 671 private healthcare establishments who have been enrolled in the central government created mobile application will receive the vaccine in the first phase.
