These 3 categories can now take Covishield jabs before 84 days

The Centre has issued standard operating procedures (SOPs) for vaccination of persons undertaking international travel for educational purposes or jobs, or as part of India’s contingent for Tokyo Olympic games. The CoWIN system will soon provide the facility for administration of 2nd dose in such exceptional cases before the stipulated period of 84 days.

Under the new guidelines, such individuals will be allowed to take the second dose of Covid vaccine ‘Covishield’ prior to the prescribed time interval of 84 days after the first dose. The Union health ministry, in a statement said, even in these cases, the second dose will only be administered after 28 days from the date of the first dose.

Also read: Fully vaccinated people may soon be able to travel without RT-PCR negative report

The health ministry said it had received several representations for allowing administration of second dose of Covishield for such persons who have only taken first dose of Covishield and are seeking to undertake international travel for educational or job or for Tokyo Olympics, but whose planned travel dates fall prior to completion of 84 days from the date of first dose. The ministry has written to states/UTs to facilitate vaccination of such persons. To provide full coverage of vaccination and facilitate international travel for such reasons, states or UTs must follow the procedure laid down by the Centre.

This special dispensation will be available to –

* Students who have to undertake foreign travel for the purposes of education.
* Persons who have to take up jobs in foreign countries
* Athletes, Sportspersons and accompanying staff of Indian contingent attending International Olympic Games be held in Tokyo.

The competent authority will check if a period of 28 days has elapsed after the date of first dose. They will also check the genuineness of the purpose of travel based on documents such as admission offers, associated formal communications, educational documents, interview calls for a job, and nomination to participate in the Tokyo Olympics.

The ministry has said in such cases, vaccination can be availed through passport, so the passport number will be printed in the CoWIN certificate. “If passport was not used at the time of administration of first dose, the details of the photo ID Card used for vaccination will be printed in the vaccination certificate and mention of the Passport in the vaccination certificate is not to be insisted upon,” the guidelines suggest.

Wherever necessary, the competent authority may issue another certificate linking the vaccination certificate with the passport number of the beneficiary, it added. This facility will be available to those who need to undertake international travel in the period up to August 31. Business Today