India’s financial capital Mumbai has become the first major city in the country that has fully vaccinated over 60 per cent of its adult population against Covid-19.
A total of 1.5 crore doses have been administered to fully immunise 56.4 lakh (60.6%) people. The city has an eligible population of 92.3 lakh, of whom 91.5 lakh (99%) have received at least one dose, as reported by The Times of India (TOI).
Reportedly, Delhi, which has administered the maximum doses of over two crore, has given both shots to nearly 50 per cent of its citizens, followed by Chennai which has given both doses to over 48 per cent people and Bengaluru has fully vaccinated 57% of its population.
Mumbai civic body chief, I S Chahal told TOI that the city could race ahead of other metros in complete vaccination as there is a rapid scale up of vaccination centres and participation of private hospitals in the inoculation drive. Forty per cent of the total doses administered in Mumbai were by the private healthcare sector.
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TOI report stated that within age categories, 68 per cent people above 45 have both doses, while in the 18-44 bracket, nearly 49 per cent are fully inoculated. The road to fully vaccinating the city is still a long one and achieving that would mean covering another 36 lakh people.
The time has come for the government to consider reducing the 84-day interval between Covishield doses, Chahal further told TOI. In Mumbai, around 35 lakh people have taken the first dose and are waiting to be eligible for the second.
“If the gap is shortened, overnight we will have 22 lakh people who will qualify for the second dose. Due to the gap, people who have got vaccinated with the first dose in September and October would have to wait till next year to be fully immunised,” he said.
Urging the state government, the commissioner has also written to CM Uddhav Thackeray to discuss the shortening of the 84-day interval with the Centre.
After Mumbai, Pune has covered the second-highest, 51 per cent citizens, with both doses, followed by Sindhudurg and Bhandara at 47 per cent each. Overall, Maharashtra has covered 34% of its 9.1 crore eligible population with both doses and 74% with at least one.
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