Mumbai gets first quota of Covid vaccine

Mumbai: The first lot of the 'Covishield' vaccine for Covid-19 was received in Mumbai early on Wednesday morning, a top official of the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation said.

"The vaccine was brought from Pune to Mumbai by a special vehicle of the BMC with health officials and police security. The stock has already reached the BMC F/South Divisional Office in Parel," Municipal Commissioner I.S. Chahal told IANS.

The manufacturers, Serum Institute of India (SII) has given about 1,39,500 doses to the BMC, for the vaccination drive to be held at 72 centres in Mumbai, he added.

According to Chahal, the vaccine will be dispatched from the F/South Divisional Office to various vaccination centres in Mumbai over the next couple of days.

"Therefore, it will be possible for us to start the vaccination in Mumbai on January 16, coinciding with the national launch of the vaccination drive," Chahal added.

The civic staff at the BMC F/South Division office welcomed the life-saving vaccine with cheers, claps, garlands and 'puja'(prayer) early in the day.

Then, it was taken for storage in the temperature-controlled vaccine strong room on the ground floor, as per the prescribed procedures by the Centre and state government.

The worst-hit in the country by the Covid-19 pandemic with maximum deaths, Mumbai has got the lion's share of 72 vaccination centres where around 100 persons -- or nearly 7,200 in the city -- shall be administered the vaccine jab daily, as per Health Minister Rajesh Tope's announcement late on Tuesday.