While the majority of citizens under the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) have already taken the first dose of the COVID vaccine, the pace of vaccination for the second dose has little slowed down. Despite the civic body having adequate vaccines doses available, citizens are turning up in a very small number at the vaccination centre.
By October 18, the civic body had already administered 11,07,233 eligible citizens with the first dose and 5,76,567 citizens with the second dose of COVID vaccines.
However, as per the data provided by the civic health department, till November 3, the total number of citizens administered with the second dose was 6,16,854. “In the last one fortnight, around 50,000 citizens turned up for the second dose of the vaccines,” said a senior civic official, adding that there is no shortage of vaccines.
“At present, there are a few takers of the first dose, the second dose recipients are coming in phases after the completion of their prescribed period. That is why there is no crowd at any center and citizens do not have to wait,” said a senior civic official. He added that NMMC’s vaccination centers are running uninterruptedly without a single day's break. “Citizens who have completed 84 days of the first dose of Covishield or 28 days of the first dose of Covaxin, then they should wait and visit the centre for the second dose,” said the official.
The civic chief Abhijit Bangar has specifically cleared that the second dose can be taken free of cost at any vaccination center of NMMC, whether the first dose is taken outside Navi Mumbai or in private hospitals or in any camp.
The civic administration has also cleared that both doses are necessary for all citizens to protect from the infection. “There is a festival season and this may be a reason why people are turning up. However, the civic body will intensify the vaccination drive post-Diwali,” said an official from Civic Health Department.
