Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) data showed that since the Covid-19 vaccination started in Mumbai on January 16, 2021, among the 4,575 Covid-19 deaths reported, 6 % (255) were individuals who had received at least one dose of vaccine against Covid-19.

Considering the fatality rate is less than 10 per cent among vaccinated individuals, the doctors emphasised the need to get inoculated as that strengthens the immunity against Covid-19.

Suresh Kakani, BMC Additional Commissioner said that nearly 94% of the deaths in Mumbai were among unvaccinated people and the vaccines could help to control the severity among the patients and reduce the fatality rate. 

The BMC data also showed that vaccinated patients who died due COVID-19 infection had comorbidities like diabetes and cardiac ailments among others, which deteriorated their condition. Dr Avinash Supe, in charge of the Covid-19 death committee, said that the vaccinated people who died were already suffering from severe comorbidities and Covid-19 acted as a secondary cause of death. For patients who were immunocompromised and contracted Covid-19 even after vaccination, the latter infection could not be directly linked to the fatality. Nearly 96 % of the latest patients who were kept on oxygen support were unvaccinated and emphasized taking the third dose to those eligible people.

The K-East, which covers Andheri East recorded over 400 deaths among unvaccinated patients, which was the highest in Mumbai in the same period. It was followed by R-South, which includes Dahisar, and P-North, comprising Malad West.

A study conducted by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), in June 2021, showed that 2 doses of vaccines were successful in preventing 95 % of deaths in the second wave among more than 1.2 lakh police personnel, who were at high risk of infection in Tamil Nadu and reduced the mortality rate by 82 % among those inoculated with a single dose.

With the emergence of the Omicron variant, doctors are advising partially vaccinated individuals, especially those with severe underlying health issues to take their second as the variant is highly contagious and spreading fast. In Mumbai, nearly 5 lakh beneficiaries have either delayed or missed their scheduled time for the second dose. As of January 11, 1.01 crore individuals had taken the first dose in Mumbai. While 83 lakh are fully vaccinated, 25,242 people had taken their booster shots.

Source: The Indian Express