Now, international travellers receiving second dose before prescribed gap of 12-16 weeks

Prayagraj: Officials of the health department have started vaccinating people who intend to travel internationally for education, employment as well as those who are part of the Indian contingent participating in Tokyo Olympics. They are being administered the second dose of Covishield before the prescribed period of 12-16 weeks from the first dose.
A special international vaccination centre has been set up at Moti Lal Nehru Medical College, and as many as 24 recipients have already been administered the jab.
Nodal officer (vaccination) at MLN Medical College, Dr Utsav Singh, told TOI, “Since the Union government permitted people travelling abroad for certain purposes to receive the second dose of Covishield vaccine before the prescribed gap of 84 days, a special vaccination site has been set up the MLN Medical College. Now, the second dose will be administered to such people after 28 days from the first dose of Covishield, as per the SOPs.”
Dr Singh further added, “Travellers who intend to go aboard for education, work, those who live overseas but are trapped in India due to the Covid lockdown, and dependents (whose family members are settled in aboard) have been asked to submit the certified copies of their passport, visa, call letter/work permit from foreign companies, college IDs, Aadhaar card and other relevant documents before receiving the second dose.
“Once the formalities are completed and they have received the second dose of vaccine, vaccination certificates will be issued to the travellers,” added Singh.
As per the SOPs issued by the central government, “The competent authority will check whether a period of 28 days has elapsed after the first dose was administered. They will also check the authenticity of the purpose of travel, based on documents related to admission offers or the associated formal communications for education.”
Moreover, with the Tokyo Olympics round the corner, the Union government has also allowed athletes, sports persons and the accompanying staff of Indian contingent to get themselves a shot of Covishield vaccine under this arrangement.
Officials, however, said that vaccination in such cases must be availed through passport, which is one of the permissible IDs as per the guidelines. The passport number will then be printed on the vaccination certificate.
However, if the passport was not used during the administration of the first Covishield dose, “the details of the photo ID card used for vaccination will be printed on the vaccination certificate. In such a case, a mention of the passport number on the vaccination certificate is not to be insisted upon,” the SOPs stated.
As many as 7,37,023 shots have been administered to recipients of all age groups in the district till June 20. While 6,09,067 beneficiaries have taken the first dose of vaccine, a total of 1,27,956 recipients have also received the second dose.
Asm any as 10,347 vaccine shots were administered in the district in the past 24 hours, which included 9,721 recipients of the first dose and 626 of the second dose.