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Updated 14 May 2021

The capital city of Maharashtra still reels under the effect of the deadly pandemic, with thousands of new cases being reported every day. With 6,83,185 coronavirus cases reported till date with a staggering death toll of more than 14,000, Mumbai is amongst the worst-hit cities in India, having the highest caseload among all States and Union territories. 

The ongoing vaccination program, however, brings hope to Mumbaikars of return to normalcy a little down the road. What are the latest developments of the vaccine in Mumbai? Read all about them here.

Updates on the COVID vaccine in Mumbai

Due to a stark shortage of COVID vaccines, the Phase 4 of India’s vaccination program for people belonging to 18-44 age group has been halted in Mumbai. Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope announced that vaccines doses meant for the 18-44 age group will be diverted for the second dose for those above 45 years of age.

Amidst such dearth, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on 12 May issued a global Expression of Interest (EoI) for the procurement of one crore doses of vaccines for Mumbai. This global tender for shots will allow the Mumbai city Municipality to directly procure vaccines without relying on the Centre. This comes two days after Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Monday gave a nod for the BMC to float a global tender.

 

What vaccines are available now?

Covishield

The Covishield is based on the viral vector platform. In simple terms, it is made from a weakened version of a common cold virus, called adenovirus, from chimpanzees and has been modified to look more like coronavirus.

On May 13, the Indian government increased the interval between the first and second doses of Covishield to 12-16 weeks. It has a shelf life of 9 months at a normal refrigerator temperature of 2-8 degrees celsius.

Overall efficacy: around 90%

Covaxin

Developed by Bharat Biotech and the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), COVAXIN is India’s first indigenous COVID-19 vaccine candidate. Covaxin is an inactivated vaccine. It contains the dead virus, which prompts an immune response but doesn’t infect or make the person sick.

Covaxin requires two doses given 28 days apart and can be stored at a normal refrigerator temperature of 2-8 degrees celsius. It has a shelf life of 24 months.

Overall efficacy: 80.6%

Sputnik V

Sputnik V got approved by DCGI on 13 April and will soon become available for distribution.

Russia’s Sputnik V has also conducted a combined phase two-three trial in India. This has been under the initiative of Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories and the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) which went into a distribution partnership with the firm in September. Now approved, it will be manufactured domestically in the country by five different companies.

Overall efficacy: 95%

 

When can Mumbai residents be vaccinated?

January 16 marked the beginning of the city’s COVID 19 vaccination drive. The vaccination is voluntary. It is being carried out in four phases:

  • Phase 1 focused on health care and front-line workers.
  • Phase 2 was for senior citizens and those above 45 suffering from comorbidities.
  • The ongoing Phase 3 includes everyone above 45 years of age, irrespective of health status.
  • Phase 4, scheduled to begin from May 1 will includes everyone above the age of 18.

Due to the shortage of supply, Mumbaikars in the 18-45 age group may have to wait longer for their turn.

 

Where to get vaccinated in Mumbai?

Initially, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation started with only 8 vaccination centres in the city, down from 40 and initial plan of 75 centres. However, this number has now scaled up to over 180 centres.

Check the full list of COVID-19 vaccination centres in Mumbai here.

How to register for vaccination in Mumbai?

Appointments for vaccination can be booked through the CoWIN website, Aarogya Setu app or the UMANG app.

Keep in mind that every user of either platform can register at the most 4 beneficiaries.

CoWIN

  1. Open the CoWIN online portal.
  2. Click on the ‘Register/Sign In Yourself’ yellow button. Those who are using it for the first time will need to register themselves with their photo ID proof (Aadhar Card/ Driving License/ PAN Card/ Passport/ Pension Passbook), photo ID number, name, and birth year. Those who have registered can sign in with an OTP.
  3. Click on ‘Schedule Appointment’.
  4. Once you enter the pin code of your area, you’ll be shown a list of vaccination centres in that area of Mumbai.
  5. Select the timing slot comfortable for you and ‘confirm’ your appointment.

Aarogya Setu

  1. Download the app on Google Play or iOS App Store.
  2. On the app’s homepage, click on the ‘CoWIN’ tab on the top right.
  3. Select the ‘Register Now’ option and verify your mobile number with an OTP.
  4. Fill in details such as name, age, gender, year of birth, etc, and upload a photo ID proof.
  5. Search for your convenient vaccination centre in Mumbai by entering the pin code of your locale, and choose the date and time of your appointment.

Upon successful registration, you will receive an SMS with the appointment details.

UMANG

  1. Download the UMANG app on Google Play or iOS App Store.
  2. First, register yourself on the app (if you haven’t already done so) with an OTP.
  3. Click on the “Health” category and select “Co-WIN”.
  4. Fill in details such as name, age, gender, year of birth, etc, and upload a photo ID proof.
  5. Search for your convenient vaccination centre in Mumbai by entering the pin code of your locale or your district, and choose the date and time slot convenient to you.

Upon successful registration, you will receive an SMS with the appointment details.

 

How much will the vaccination cost?

The vaccines are available free of cost in all government centres while private facilities charge INR 250 for a single dose of any vaccine.