The Union health ministry on Tuesday, December 28, said that no doctors certificates would be required for persons aged 60 and above with comorbidities to be produced at the time of administration of precaution doses. Such persons are expected to obtain the advice of their doctors before deciding to avail of the precaution dose, said the ministry.
During a workshop with states and union territories to review the rollout of vaccination for the age group 15-18 and precautionary third dose for vulnerable categories, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan emphasised that nine months or 39 weeks should elapse since the administration of the second dose to make the beneficiary eligible for the precaution dose.
Bhushan categorically underlined that the government has not issued any directions on the requirement of the doctor's certificate to establish comorbidity at the vaccination centre. He said that the doctor's prescription and certificates are not mandated to be produced at the center for administration of the precaution dose. The CoWIN portal will send reminder messages to all those eligible for the precaution dose and the dose will be reflected in the digital vaccination certificates, he added.
The states and UTs have been exhorted to undertake proper planning in advance for distribution of Covaxin to identified session sites for the 15-18 age group. To avoid the mixing-up of vaccines during administration, the ministry has advised states to manage separate arrangements including separate session sites and queue in case adult vaccination is going at the same place.
The states and UTs have also been advised to share their requirement of vaccine doses through district-wise estimation of beneficiaries using CoWIN.