The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said that it is ready to start administering the precautionary dose at all 125 civic vaccination centres. However, the civic body is waiting for Centre’s direction for the allowance on the same.
This statement came days after the Union Health Ministry announced the commencement to provide the COVID-19 booster doses to those over the age of 18 from Sunday, April 10 at private vaccination centres only.
Apart from age limit, another the eligibility criteria for the same remarks that they should have completed nine months since the second dose will be eligible for the booster shots. With this, 7.4 million people became eligible for the third jab in Maharashtra.
The BMC can start booster doses for adults immediately after government’s instructions as they are ready for booster with enough vaccines. In addition, 150 private centres can also start booster doses, for which the cost has been decided by the government, said civic body official.
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Official further stated that the civic body has all the machinery set up for vaccination. The staff is already trained and experienced in vaccination. Even after that, if the government asks for re-training the staff then the BMC is ready for that too.
On the other hand, the Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope on Sunday, April 10, mentioned that at present the state government had no plan to bear the cost of a booster dose of vaccine against the virus. The minister also shared that the state cabinet had discussed the issue on Saturday, April 9, but no final decision has been taken yet on it.
Besides, this also comes at a time when the trend in coronavirus cases have seen a sharp downfall. Also, the Maharashtra government has relaxed all the COVID-related curbs across the state. With this, it is not mandatory to wear face masks and no double vaccination needed to use public transport, restaurants, theatres and malls etc.
Though health experts have welcomed the decision. Earlier, only those above 60 years of age along with frontline and healthcare workers were allowed for such doses. Accordingly, as per BMC data, so far, 4.2 lakh beneficiaries have taken the dose.
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Of which, 37,869 are healthcare workers, 3,61,206 are frontline workers and 12,22,586 are senior citizens.
For those unversed, the vaccine will cost between INR 780 and INR 1,400 at private centres.
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