COVID Vaccine registration: Netizens fume as slots for 18-44 age group in Mumbai 'close in a blink' after opening

The vaccination drive has faced roadblocks due to lack of doses (File image: Reuters)

The vaccine registration slots for the 18-44 age group in Mumbai "closed in a blink" after opening at 7:30 pm on May 3. This led to an array of netizens marking their angst against the administration.

The opening up of slots for online vaccine registration - which is mandatory for beneficiaries in the 18-44 age group - was announced by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) in a social media post.

The BMC, on its Twitter handle, had stated that the slots would open for the five registration centres for 500 vaccine doses. The timing for the inoculation drive would be 9 am to 5 pm.

Slots Opening At 7.30 PM For The 18-44s

9 am-5 pm, same 5 centres , 500 vaccine doses, hopefully the same discipline too 45 aboves may walk-in ONLY for their second dose with their first dose certificate/sms List of centres to be updated tonight #MyBMCVaccinationUpdate — माझी Mumbai, आपली BMC (@mybmc) May 3, 2021

Netizens who had logged on to the CoWIN platform to register themselves claimed that the slots went full within minutes.

"The slots get full even before a fraction of second," said one Twitter user identified as Sarang Cheema. "Despite multiple attempts after clicking it just hangs and nothing gets booked all the slots are shown as booked," another user, Vikrant Pawar, added.

"I was constantly on CoWIN web portal since 7:20 pm to 7:40 pm for the vaccine slot scheduling. No slots were opened even for a blink of sec (sic)," a Twitter user identified as Radhika Prabhu claimed.

Here's how the netizens vented their frustration:

Seriously, how are people getting slots in Mumbai for the vaccine ???!!! I was on the app for the past 20 mins, kept refreshing and in a moment I saw there was an opening, slots 0. How's it even possible ? @mybmc What's happening ? — Aayushi (@aayushigala) May 3, 2021

By when we will have this "catch me if you can" kind of vaccine schedule.

The slots get full even before a fraction of second. Seriously, you can only arrange just 2500 does for 18 to 44 age category per day!! Despite Mumbai being the economic capital!! Sorry state of affairs!! — Sarang Cheema (@sarangcheema) May 3, 2021

All the slots were booked before 7:30. d Despite multiple attempts after clicking it just hangs and nothing gets booked all the slots are shown as booked. @AUThackeray@CMOMaharashtra Pune has close to 150 vaccine centers, Thane around 90 centers. Why Mumbai has only 15? — VIKRANT PAWAR (@vspawar) May 3, 2021

@mybmc@OfficeofUT@mayor_mumbai@MoHFW_INDIA

I was constantly on cowin web portal since 7:20 to 7:40 pm for the vaccine slot scheduling. No slots were opened even for a blink of sec. @7:40 suddenly the website displayed slots booked for 18+ across 5 centres in Maharashtra. — Radhika Prabhu (@radhika2104) May 3, 2021

Maharashtra is among the states where the inoculation drive for the 18-44 age group has hit roadblocks, with the government claiming a shortage of doses.

The state is prioritising the jabs for the 45-plus age group - a section of which is yet to receive their second dose.

As per the update issued by the BMC on May 3, the 45-plus age group beneficiaries can walk in "only for their second dose". They would be required to carry along with them the "SMS/certificate" which would confirm that they have received the first dose.

The list of vaccination centres would be "updated tonight", the civic body had further stated.