MADURAI: Days after TNIE highlighted the inability of international travellers to take the second dose of Covishield after 28 days and obtain vaccination certificates in Tamil Nadu, arrangements have been made at 76 designated government vaccination centres in all districts of the State to administer the dose through a special facility enabled in the CoWIN portal.
In the news report published on June 15, TNIE pointed out that thousands of residents in Tamil Nadu who are set to fly abroad for education, work or as part of the Indian contingent for Olympics were left in lurch despite the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, on June 7, permitting them to receive the second dose of Covishield vaccine after 28 days since the first dose (before completion of the prescribed 84-day interval between the two doses of Covishield).
It was then cited that the CoWIN portal which generates Covid vaccination certificates does not permit one to take second dose before prescribed 84-day interval and that the portal lacked any option on the website to accommodate exceptional categories.
As many countries provide an exemption for ‘fully vaccinated’ immigrants, who complete 15 days since the second dose, from the three-day mandatory paid quarantine at a government-chosen star hotel (until the arrival of RT-PCR test results), the inability to take the second dose of Covishield landed the international travellers in a fix.
Principal Secretary for the Department of Medical and Family Welfare Dr J Radhakrishnan had earlier told TNIE that the issue would be taken to the immediate notice of the Centre which manages the CoWIN portal.
Accordingly, 76 designated government vaccination centres across TN are now equipped with the facility to register and issue Covid vaccine certificates.
In the 10 districts of South Tamil Nadu, 18 designated government vaccination centres now inoculate those undertaking international travel for education or employment or as part of the Indian contingent for the Olympics, with the second dose of Covishield vaccine.
Following the State government’s request to the Centre to provide an option in the CoWIN portal to vaccinate and generate certificates for the exceptional category, the facility has now been enabled at the designated vaccination centres alone.