The BMC has now decided to conduct a vaccine dry run for the Frontline workers (FLWs) in the next two days. This comes after the state government directed all districts to start inoculating FLWs along with the healthcare workers. Officials said they have begun the preparations for vaccinating HCWs but before that they will be doing a dry run to check all the preparations.
Around 5.80 lakh frontline workers have registered themselves on the Co-WIN app for the vaccination till date, of which 1.70 lakh FLWs are from Mumbai. Frontline workers include municipal staffers, police, defence, security guards, solid waste management workers, revenue department staff, and BEST drivers and conductors.
Suresh Kakani, Additional municipal commissioner said they aim to immunise 10,000 people a day in the city. Frontline workers will not be directed towards JJ hospital, where Covaxin is being administered. “We have been told that JJ centre is only for those who are willing to get Covaxin and only for JJ hospital staff. We will be directing all frontline workers to vaccination centres were Covishield has been administered,” he said.
Kakani said they have stock of 2.20 lakh vaccine doses, including Covishield and Covaxin, which will be used for both health workers and frontline workers. Until now this stock was adequate only for health workers. Instead of utilising the existing dosages to give two shots to health workers, they will be used to give the first shots to health workers and frontline workers. “We expect more stock in the next eight-10 days based on data of frontline workers we upload on Co-WIN,” he added.
The state health department are ready to start phase 2 of the immunisation programme, but it all depends upon the Centre as they have to activate the system for phase 2 on Co-WIN app. “The technical glitch of the Co-Win app is yet to be resolve due to which we had allowed ‘walk-in’ at the centres and the turnout increased. The centres activate the system then we can go ahead with phase 2 of the vaccination drive,” said a health official.
