The Shopping Centres Association of India (SCAI) has advised state governments around the country to use shopping centres and malls to carry out the vaccination programme, which is currently in its third phase.
SCAI also recommended the use of its infrastructure to assist state governments in their respective vaccination campaigns.
"Malls are social infrastructure with ample safe and hygienic parking space, training rooms, etc. and can be utilised as vaccination camps," it said in a statement.
"Malls are social infrastructure with ample safe and hygienic parking space, training rooms, etc. and can be utilised as vaccination camps," it said in a statement.
India started its third phase of vaccination for those aged 18 to 44 earlier this month, while frontline staff and those above the age of 45 continue to be vaccinated.
Malls in different parts of the country have been closed due to the increase in cases during the second wave, which began in Maharashtra in early April. The Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) is currently conducting ‘Drive Via vaccinations' in the parking lots of two Navi Mumbai malls, the Seawoods Grand Central and Inorbit Mall, for people over 45 years old.
The drive was conducted in a comprehensive and sanitary manner in the mall parking lots. "NMMC successfully vaccinated 80 people at Seawoods Grand Central and over 60 people at Inorbit Mall on Day 1 and will continue to do so throughout the region," SCAI said in a statement.
After testing one in a multi-story Kohinoor public parking lot in Dadar West, Mumbai's civic body, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), is considering opening several drive-in vaccination centres. SCAI said it has actively reached out to all of its members, urging them to sell space in their malls to supplement the country's new vaccination camps.
With two vaccines currently available in India – Covishield and Covaxin – the country has vaccinated over 16.49 crore residents, with 3.28 crore getting their second dose as well. About 2.2 percent of the population lives in this area. Despite the efforts of organisations such as SCAI to provide space, many states continue to face a vaccine shortage and are conducting selective vaccination campaigns, with several still waiting for their second dose.
Maharashtra, for example, will have to halt the vaccine campaign for those aged 18 to 44 in order to focus on second doses for those aged 45 and up.
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