Senior citizens will not have to produce a medical certificate or prescription or proof of their frail condition while taking the Covid-19 third dose but they are suggested to go for the “precautionary dose” only after they are medically advised to do so.
According to the letter sent by health secretary Rajesh Bhushan to states and Union Territories, those who are 60 years old or above, with comorbidities, having received two doses of Covid-19 vaccine, will be provided with the “precautionary dose” on the doctor’s advice from January 10, 2022.
“All persons aged 60 years and above with co-morbidities will not be required to produce/submit any certificate from a doctor, at the time of administration of precaution dose,” the letter read.
Those people are expected to seek their doctor’s advice before taking the third dose, it added.
The government was earlier considering the option of a doctor’s prescription or certificate but that would have complicated the process for the elderly in terms of mobility and expense.
Calling it “a matter of abundant precaution,” the letter said the third dose will also be administered to healthcare and frontline workers from January 10. However, in certain cases, the workers need to produce the employment certificate.
“The prioritisation and sequencing of this precaution dose would be based on the completion of nine months that is 39 weeks from the date of administration of the second dose,” the letter read.
India has already administered around 90% of the eligible beneficiaries with at least one dose of Covid-19 vaccine whereas more than 62% have been fully vaccinated. More than 142 crore doses of the vaccine have been administered so far.
Vaccination for the age group of 15-18 years will start from January 3, 2022 and they will be provided with Covaxin as it is the only vaccine with Emergency Use Listing, the letter said.
While the government will provide free Covid-19 vaccination at the public centres, the letter said, “Those who have the ability to pay are encouraged to use private hospitals’ centres.”
The previously declared price for each vaccine at private CVCs (Covid Vaccination Centres) will remain applicable for these beneficiaries as well.
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