MUMBAI: The booster dose rollout saw a tepid response in the state and the city on Monday as barely 5% of the eligible beneficiaries came out to take the third shot.
Contrary to expectations of higher footfall in the wake of the Omicron surge, the usual long queues and jam-packed registration halls were missing this time, and empty chairs greeted many senior citizens across vaccination centres.
In Maharashtra, 49,307 people, including frontliners and senior citizens, took the third shot on the first day, out of the eligible 9.35 lakh. Mumbai administered 10,698 precautionary doses, covering 5.8% of its 1.8 lakh beneficiaries. 30% of the 12,139 eligible senior citizens took the third shot. In comparison, 5,249 of 88,892 healthcare workers, or 6%, showed up. Of the nearly 81,000 eligible frontline workers, merely 2.2% (1,823) came for the booster shot.
Within the state, Mumbai administered the highest number of precautionary doses. Pune delivered the second highest (6,638), followed by Thane (4,692) and Nashik (4,015). A comparison of states shows that Gujarat managed to give the third dose to 1.55 lakh on Monday, while Rajasthan and Karnataka gave it to 95,540 and 81,728 people respectively. Nationally, 9.79 lakh precautionary doses were administered.
John and Judy Gracias from Marol were surprised to see no wait time for their third shot at SevenHills Hospital on Monday. “The first two doses of the vaccine protected us well as we didn’t get Covid in the massive second wave,” said 70-year-old John. A Covid hospital head said that many health workers have already taken their dose “quietly” and hence there was no heavy rush on Monday. Dean of Nesco Dr Neelam Andrade said that the response was better from senior citizens compared to other groups, but footfalls of frontliners should increase gradually.
Most seniors had received messages from CoWin and booked appointments, while several had walked in with Aadhar cards. In KEM Hospital, Parel, the turnout seemed a bit higher than the last few months as staff and some senior citizens joined the queue. “There wasn’t a queue like one used to see at the start of vaccination in January last year. It was a steady stream of people,” said KEM Hospital dean Dr Sangeeta Rawat. In nearby Global Hospital, the booster drive will start in a few days as stocks come in, said an official.
Bandra-based Dr Kirit Trivedi, a 72-year-old anaesthetist, took his shot at 11 am. “I took the first shot on January 16, 2021, the day the vaccination drive began in India. This time as well, I took it on the first day at Holy Family Hospital in Bandra,” he said, adding there were no long queues.
Elsewhere in the state, teething problems emerged. Orthopedic surgeon Dr Y Gade from Aurangabad said the civic corporation had initially announced booster shots at only 5 of 51 vaccine centres. “There were no takers initially, but the Indian Medical Association here took up the matter with civic authorities who soon announced booster shots could be taken at any centre,” said 54-year-old Gade, who too took his third shot.
