COVID Surge: Mumbai Reports 11 New Cases Daily, Do We Have Sufficient Vaccine Stock?

COVID-19 cases are rising again in India. Mumbai, on average, is reporting 11 new COVID-19 cases daily. In May, 346 cases were reported. This showcases a sharp rise from near-zero figures till April. Most of the cases are mild, and the hospitalisation rate remains low in the city. Since January, Mumbai has reported 352 cases, with most of these cases reported in May. On May 28, 36 new cases were logged, highlighting that there is a seasonal surge. Overall, the state reported six COVID-19 deaths in 2025. All the patients were suffering from serious comorbidities. Health experts are urging people not to panic or take any stress, as the infection is ending and can be cured by rational testing and timely care.

The doctors attribute this surge to the unpredictable seasonal pattern of respiratory illnesses. But the global health authorities are pointing out a more potential reason behind this surge. According to the WHO, regional rises may be caused by waning immunity from prior illnesses and immunisations, and India may soon experience similar trends. Along with the recently discovered Omicron sub-lineage NB.1.8.1, the predominant strains presently in use in India include LF.7, XFG, and JN.1. Cough, runny nose, sore throat, low-grade fever, headaches, body pains, and, occasionally, gastrointestinal problems are some of the symptoms that these variations share and that closely resemble those of the common flu.

Even though SARS-CoV-2's seasonal behaviour now resembles that of other respiratory viruses due to recurring mutations, there is one significant distinction: India's current vaccinations were not made to target these more recent subvariants. Despite this, the health experts are optimistic and cautious at the same time. People who are vaccinated, especially in the last 12 months, are expected to retain some degree of protection from this virus and its mutated version. Nearly 1 billion people have received a shot of Covishield or Covaxin.

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As there was a decline in demand, Covishield, manufactured under licence from AstraZeneca by SII, stopped its production in December 2021. 

Covaxin, India’s first indigenous vaccine for COVID, was developed by Bharat Biotech in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research - National Institute of Virology. They too stopped manufacturing the vaccine due to low demand.

The officials still maintain that vaccine availability is not a concern at the moment. India Today, citing their government sources, reported that there is ample stock of vaccine available in India. The need for improved COVID-19 vaccinations in India is still being assessed. 

Nevertheless, the new study provides comfort. Previous immunisation still offers robust immune protection, especially against more recent variations like Delta and Omicron, according to a recent University of Arizona Health Sciences study that was published in Nature Immunology. Even though it might lessen the body's capacity to produce antibodies specific to the variation, vaccinated people nevertheless had a stronger immune response than unvaccinated people.