OVER the last 11 months, 255 or 6 per cent of the 4,575 Covid-19 deaths in Mumbai were individuals who had received at least one dose of vaccine against Covid-19, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) data shows.
While the vaccination against Covid-19 started on January 16, 2021, Mumbai recorded 4,575 Covid-19 deaths between February 1, 2021 and January 4, 2022. Of these, 4,320 deceased patients were unvaccinated, making up for 94 per cent of the total Covid-19 deaths in Mumbai over the last 11 months.
The remaining 6 per cent or 255 patients who lost their lives to Covid-19 were vaccinated and they are categorised as breakthrough infection deaths – where a patient contracts Covid-19 after getting partially or fully vaccinated against SARS-Cov-2 and succumbs to the infection.
Considering the fatality rate is less than 10 per cent among vaccinated individuals, the doctors emphasised on the need to get inoculated as that strengthens the immunity against Covid-19.
“Nearly 94 per cent of the deaths in Mumbai are being recorded among unvaccinated people. The vaccines don’t provide 100 per cent protection against novel corona infection, but it does help control the severity among the patients, thereby containing the fatality rate,” said Suresh Kakani, BMC Additional Commissioner.
A look at the break-up across wards shows that the K-East, which covers Andheri East, recorded over 400 deaths among unvaccinated patients in the same period – the highest in Mumbai. It was followed by R-South, which includes Dahisar, and P-North, comprising Malad West.
The BMC data also shows that vaccinated patients who died due to breakthrough infections had comorbidities like diabetes and cardiac ailments among others, which deteriorated their condition.
“As these patients already had severe comorbidities, Covid-19 acted as a secondary cause of death. For patients who are immunocompromised and contract Covid-19 even after vaccination, the latter infection can’t be directly linked to the fatality,” said Dr Avinash Supe, in charge of the Covid-19 death committee.
In June 2021, a study conducted by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) among more than 1.2 lakh police personnel, who were at high-risk of infection in Tamil Nadu, revealed that two doses of vaccines were successful in preventing 95 per cent deaths in the second wave, whereas deaths were lower by 82 per cent among those inoculated with one dose.
As a more contagious variant, Omicron, is spreading and threatening to invade the immunity, the doctors are advising partially vaccinated individuals to take their second shots, especially those with severe underlying health issues.
In Mumbai, nearly five lakh beneficiaries have either delayed or missed their scheduled time for the second dose.
“As seen, nearly 96 per cent of the latest patients who have been kept on oxygen support are unvaccinated. People should not only take the second dose but the eligible beneficiaries should also take the third dose,” said Dr Supe.
As on January 11, 1.01 crore individuals have taken the first dose in Mumbai. While 83 lakh are fully vaccinated, 25,242 beneficiaries have taken the booster shots.