Mumbai needs 9 million Covid-19 vaccine doses to fully vaccinate its adult population

As of Monday, Mumbai had already administered 11.2 million Covid vaccine doses, leaving a gap of 7 million more doses to cover the estimated adult population entirely. The civic body is also counting an additional 2 million doses as many individuals who have taken the vaccine in Mumbai were from outside the city.

The city needs another 9 million doses of vaccine to fully inoculate its estimated adult population with both doses against Covid-19. Civic officials said they would be able to achieve this target by year-end if they receive at least 3 million doses every month.

A beneficiary gets a Covid-19 vaccine dose at CR Wadia Hospital Vaccination Centre, in Thane, Mumbai on Saturday. (Praful Gangurde / HT)

According to the civic estimates, Mumbai’s adult population is around 9.07 million or 9,078,952 to be precise. These estimates have been drawn from the 2011 census and projected mid-year population growth. With two doses mandated for each individual, the city requires a total of 18.1 million doses. As of Monday, the city had already administered 11.2 million doses, leaving a gap of 7 million more doses to cover the estimated adult population entirely. The civic body is also counting an additional 2 million doses as many individuals who have taken the vaccine in Mumbai were from outside the city, mainly from other parts of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR).

“About four out of 10 people taking vaccines in Mumbai are from out of the city,” said the city’s immunisation officer Dr Sheela Jagtap. “We have been taking regular updates from vaccination centres in the city to get an estimate of doses administered to people from out of Mumbai. Considering all factors, Mumbai requires another 9 million doses to cover its own population,” she said.

The city’s target population, according to the state government, is on the higher side. Initially, the state considered the National Family Health Survey-5 data and had estimated the city’s adult population to be 9.6 million. In the latest target given to Mumbai, the state has estimated the city’s adult population to be 9.2 million, slightly higher than the estimates by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).

Early this month, Mumbai became the first district in Maharashtra to complete administering 10 million doses. As of September 16, the city has covered 69% of the population aged between 18 and 44 with the first dose and 16% with both doses. In the 45 to 59 age group, the city has covered 95% population with at least one dose and 60% with both doses. In the 60-plus category, Mumbai achieved 100% coverage with one dose and 71% coverage with both doses. The city’s overall vaccination coverage stands at 83% with one dose and 35% with both doses.

The pace of vaccination in the city has picked up this month with nearly 1.4 million doses administered by September 15. The city had administered 2.1 million doses in August and 1.7 million in July. While private hospitals have accumulated a large stock of about 9.8 million doses, some have stepped forward to administer the doses as a part of corporate social responsibility (CSR).

Additional municipal commissioner Suresh Kakani said the quota of vaccination for the city has increased this month. “We have the capacity to administer nearly 200,000 doses a day. If we get a higher number of doses, we will be able to cover all the adult population by year-end,” he said, adding that some buffer time may be required for a few people as Covishield vaccine has an 84-day gap between two doses.