Centre issues SOPs to administer second dose of Covishield before 84 days for certain categories

Students, sports persons and job seekers will now be eligible for an expedited second dose of Covishield vaccine to facilitate their international travel.

The Union Health Ministry, on Monday, issued Standard Operating Procedures for vaccination of those planning to undertake international travel for education purposes, joining employment and as part of the Indian contingent to the Tokyo Olympics.

However, the second dose of Covishield will only be administered after 28 days from the date of the first dose.

Several students, sportspersons and job seekers had petitioned the government for faster vaccination to help them travel abroad to meet their education, job or sporting event calender.

Of the two vaccines administered in India, only Covishield is recognised by the World Health Organisation.

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The SOPs ask the states to designate a competent authority in each district to grant permission for such administration of the second dose of Covishield.

The competent authority shall check whether a period of 28 days has elapsed after the date of the first dose and the genuineness of the purpose of travel, based on documents related to admission offers or the associated formal communications for the purpose of education.

It will also check whether a person is already studying in a foreign educational institution and has to return to that institution for continuing his or her education, interview calls for a job or offer letters for taking up employment and the nomination to participate in the Tokyo Olympic games, before allowing the administration of the second dose.

This special dispensation will be available to the students who have to undertake foreign travel for the purpose of education, those who have to take up jobs in foreign countries, athletes, sportspersons and the accompanying staff of the Indian contingent attending the Tokyo Olympic games.

The ministry advised that vaccination may be availed in such cases through passport, which is one of the permissible ID documents, according to the current guidelines, so that the passport number is printed in the vaccination certificate.