COVID 19 Vaccine India Latest Update: There is some important important news for the people who are seeking to undertake international travel and have only taken the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine. Recently, the central government has issued some Standard Operating Procedure (SOPs) and intimated it to the states and the union territories. The central government has issued SOPs for COVID-19 vaccination of persons undertaking international travel for educational purposes or employment opportunities, or as part of India's contingent for Tokyo Olympic games where people under these categories will be allowed to get the second dose of Covishield COVID-19 vaccine before the 84 days limit following verification of certain documents by  a competent authority. 

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At present, in India, if a person has taken Covishield COVID-19 vaccine in the first shot, one has to wait for a minimum interval of 84 days for the second dose. 

As per release from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), "With the receipt of several representations for allowing administration of dose of Covishield for such persons who have only taken first dose of Covishield and are seeking to undertake international travel for educational purposes or employment opportunities or for participation in India's Contingent for Tokyo Olympic games, but whose planned travel dates fall prior to completion of the currently mandated minimum interval of 84 days from the date of first dose, the issue was discussed in Empowered Group 5 (EG-5) and appropriate recommendations have been received in this context." 

Now, with a view for providing full coverage of vaccination and facilitating international travel for such genuine reasons, the following procedure shall be followed for administration of second dose of Covishield vaccine for such beneficiaries. The following categories will fall under this discretion: 

1) Students who have to undertake foreign travel for the purposes of education

2) Persons who have to take up jobs in foreign countries

3) Athletes, Sportspersons and accompanying staff of Indian contingent attending International Olympic Games be held in Tokyo

The central government has asked the states and the union territories to designate a competent authority in each district for according permission for such administration of second dose of Covishield. The competent authority shall check the following before according a permission for administration of second dose before the period of 84 days after date of first dose:

1) Whether a period of 28 days has elapsed after the date of first dose

2) Genuineness of the purpose of travel based on documents

One must note that This facility shall be available to those who need to undertake international travel for these specified purposes in the period up to August 31, 2021. The CoWIN portal will also soon provide the facility for administration of second dose of Covishield in case of such exceptional cases. In case of vaccination certificates, mentioning the vaccine type as 'Covishield' will be sufficient, and no other qualifying documents will be necessary.