The union government on June 7 said students attending the new academic session in foreign universities, professionals going abroad for their jobs, and athletes part of the country’s Tokyo Olympics contingent will have to link vaccination certificates with passport.
According to the press release by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, these group would be eligible to take their second dose of the Covishield vaccine after 28 days without waiting mandated interval of 84-days. The facility will be available to those belonging to these specified categories and going abroad till August 31.
The facility will be made available to those who need to go abroad for the listed purposes till August 31, the central government stated.
Clearing up the chaos and confusion around whether the Oxford University and Astrazeneca’s vaccine is acceptable abroad, the health ministry on Monday said that “Covishield” is sufficient and “no other qualifying entries are required” to travel internationally.
“AstraZeneca’s Covishield, locally manufactured by the Serum Institute of India (SII) and approved by the DGCI is clearly one of the approved vaccines by the World Health Organisation for use as on June 3, 2021,” a government order read.
“States and UT governments shall designate a competent authority in every district for seeking permission for such administration of second dose of Covishield.”
The day before, addressing the nation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has declared the new vaccine rules stating that the central government would buy 75% of the vaccine from manufacturers and inoculate the adults above the age of 18 free of cost, and the remaining 25% would be given to states and UTs so the respective states can administer it accordingly. The new rules will be effective from June 21.
