PUNE: Authorities of private hospitals in the city on Monday expressed their inability to administer precaution doses of the vaccine against Covid to overseas travellers till the government issued “clear guidelines”.
This could affect the international travel plans for the vaccine beneficiaries aged from 18 to 59 years, especially for countries that have mandated a booster within nine months after the second dose of Covid vaccine.
Only private hospitals can now administer precaution doses to people only in the 18-59 years category. The government-run Covid vaccine centres have been allowed to vaccinate people aged 60 years and above with the precaution doses.
The Centre recently permitted the overseas travellers to take a booster dose after a minimum period of three months since the date of receiving the second dose as a special case instead of the mandatory nine-month period.
The government also stated that there was no need of uploading any travel documents, such as visa on CoWlN claiming the proof of undertaking international travel for availing of the booster dose before nine months since the date of receiving the second vaccine shot against Covid.
Dr Madhav Chavan, managing director of Phoenix Hospital, told TOI that in the absence of such documentation, it would be difficult for the Covid vaccination centres to verify if a person was genuinely seeking the booster early for international travel.
State immunisation officer Dr Sachin Desai however told TOI, “Overseas travellers aged from 18 to 59 years, who want precaution doses anytime after completing three months after the second dose of the vaccine — will have to approach the private Covid vaccination centres. Travellers aged 60 years and above can, however, take the precaution dose at the stipulated reduced interval at government sites. CoWIN is expected to make the necessary provisions for the arrangement in the next few days.”
