Precautionary Dose Beneficiaries Need Not Re-register Themselves: Co-WIN Chief

New Delhi, Jan 5: Those eligible for the third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine will not be required to re-register themselves on the Co-WIN app, CEO, National Health Authority and Co-WIN Dr RS Sharma told UNI on Wednesday.
Sharma informed that beneficiaries of the precautionary dose can schedule their appointment from the same account used to receive the previous doses of COVID-19 vaccines.
“We have made a few changes and updated the Co-WIN app given the next phase of our nationwide vaccination drive against COVID-19 which has started with adolescents and scheduled to be rolled out for people above 60 years and out healthcare & frontline workers,” he said while speaking to UNI.
“A mobile number that could be used to register 4 people is now allowed to do the same for 6. School ID is now listed as proof of identity on the platform. Also, the people who have had been vaccinated with both doses and are now eligible for the additional shot will not have to re-register themselves. Such beneficiaries will receive the notification from Co-WIN if they have completed 39 weeks after the second shot as per the Centre’s guidelines,” Sharma added.
The Co-WIN chief also said that the third dose inoculation will be reflected on the digital vaccination certificates of the beneficiaries.
In a televised address on December 25, Prime Minister Narendra Modi made the announcement for a “precaution dose” for healthcare and frontline workers as well as those aged above 60 having the co-morbid condition.
The Union Health Ministry in its latest guidelines has set eligibility criteria for the precautionary dose as completion of nine months or 39 weeks from the date of administration of the second dose.
Also, the senior citizens with co-morbidity will not be required to produce or submit any certificate from a doctor at the time of administration of the precautionary dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, according to the ministry’s guidelines.
“Such persons are expected to obtain the advice of their doctor before deciding to avail of the precautionary dose or third dose,” it said.
The Centre has scheduled the roll-out of the precautionary dose from January 10. However, there is still no clarity whether the beneficiaries will receive the same vaccine, that they were vaccinated with earlier, as the third dose or different vaccines would be allowed as booster shots.
Sources told UNI that the announcement in this regard is expected on Wednesday at the press briefing called by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.