Half of the senior citizens under the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) have already taken both doses of the COVID vaccine. However, keeping casualty rates due to COVID, senior citizens are the most vulnerable. Health issues and allergies are few reasons for many senior citizens delaying or avoiding taking the COVID vaccine.
As per the data shared by NMMC’s Health department, of the total 1.5 lakh senior citizens, a total of 91,373 have taken the first dose of COVID vaccine while 79,416 have taken both doses till September 30.
After health workers and people associated with the essential services, following the central government and state government guidelines, the vaccination of senior citizens was started early this year. Depending upon the availability of vaccines, the civic body increased the number of vaccination centre across the city, so that citizens can take the jab to the nearest centre.
According to the civic health department, around 53 percent of senior citizens have taken both doses of vaccines while around 62 percent took both doses.
Since the outbreak of the pandemic, of the total deaths due to COVID, the maximum numbers were senior citizens. Around 50 percent of deaths due to COVID were senior citizens. According to a civic official, many of the senior citizens have health issues while many of them are having allergies and that was posing a hurdle for them to take the vaccine.