96% hospitalisations in Mumbai without jabs; WHO calls Omicron 'dangerous' for unvaccinated

Meanwhile, the BMC has decided that, unlike the first and second waves, where positivity was used to impose a lockdown or restrictions, further curbs would be imposed only if there is a burden of high hospitalisation rates and a steep increase in oxygen usage in the third wave, the Times of India reported.

News18

January 13, 2022 / 09:19 IST

Dr. Kedar Toraskar hasn't been able to sleep much over the last few months. His mind would constantly turn to the young COVID-19 patients fighting for their lives in the ICU ward he oversees at Wockhardt Hospital in the western Indian city of Mumbai. (Image: AP)

Ninety-six per cent of the 1,900-odd patients on oxygen beds in Mumbai have not received even a single dose of the Covid-19 vaccine, said BMC commissioner Iqbal Chahal, after the analysation of vaccination and civic data.
Meanwhile, the BMC has decided that, unlike the first and second waves, where positivity was used to impose a lockdown or restrictions, further curbs would be imposed only if there is a burden of high hospitalisation rates and a steep increase in oxygen usage in the third wave, the Times of India reported.

In a TV interview, Chahal said that ninety-six per cent of the patients admitted on oxygen beds in 186 hospitals of Mumbai were unvaccinated, and that the general trend was that vaccinated people were not reaching ICUs.

“We have 21 lakh vaccine stock available with us. The current hurdle in ensuring the entire adult population is vaccinated is the 84-day gap required between the two doses. Today, too, our vaccination percentage is the best in India,” the commissioner said, adding that people should not think of the Omicron as a flu, adding if unvaccinated it definitely can take an infected person to the ICU.

More than one crore people in Mumbai have received both doses, while nearly 90 lakh have received only one vaccine shot, according to the BMC. Chahal also stated that additional restrictions would be imposed in the third wave only if the burden of hospitalizations and oxygen use skyrocketed.

Chahal stated that they were in control of Covid-related deaths, with 19 deaths in the previous 16 days. “Despite the fact that Mumbai has one lakh active cases as of today, only ten tonnes of oxygen are being used."

COVID-19 Vaccine

Frequently Asked Questions

How does a vaccine work?

A vaccine works by mimicking a natural infection. A vaccine not only induces immune response to protect people from any future COVID-19 infection, but also helps quickly build herd immunity to put an end to the pandemic. Herd immunity occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. The good news is that SARS-CoV-2 virus has been fairly stable, which increases the viability of a vaccine.

How many types of vaccines are there?

There are broadly four types of vaccine — one, a vaccine based on the whole virus (this could be either inactivated, or an attenuated [weakened] virus vaccine); two, a non-replicating viral vector vaccine that uses a benign virus as vector that carries the antigen of SARS-CoV; three, nucleic-acid vaccines that have genetic material like DNA and RNA of antigens like spike protein given to a person, helping human cells decode genetic material and produce the vaccine; and four, protein subunit vaccine wherein the recombinant proteins of SARS-COV-2 along with an adjuvant (booster) is given as a vaccine.

What does it take to develop a vaccine of this kind?

Vaccine development is a long, complex process. Unlike drugs that are given to people with a diseased, vaccines are given to healthy people and also vulnerable sections such as children, pregnant women and the elderly. So rigorous tests are compulsory. History says that the fastest time it took to develop a vaccine is five years, but it usually takes double or sometimes triple that time.

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