COVID-19 Vaccine News Update Today: CoWIN app to reflect change automatically for Covishield second dose after 12 weeks - find all details here

COVID-19 Vaccine News Update Today: Recently, the Indian government announced that the gap between the first and second doses of Covishield COVID-19 vaccine has been extended to 12 to 16 weeks. This has been recommended by the COVID Working Group chaired by Dr. N K Arora. With this announcement there has been a confusion among the people regarding how to reschedule their appointment on the CoWIN app and when to get the next COVID-19 vaccine shot. 

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The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) had issued a press release where it had clarified all the queries of the beneficiaries. The central government has informed about this extension about the gap for getting the Covishield COVID-19 vaccine shots to the states and the union territories. It has also been informed that the CoWIN digital portal has also been reconfigured to reflect this extension of interval for two doses of Covishield to 12-16 weeks. 

However, there have been reports in a section of the media suggesting that people who had pre-booked their appointment for the second dose in less than 84 days on CoWIN are being turned back from vaccination centres without getting the second dose of Covishield.  Regarding this. it is clarified that the requisite changes have now been done in the CoWIN digital portal and as a result, further online or on-site appointments will not be possible if the period after 1st dose date for a beneficiary is less than 84 days.

The Union Government has also instructed the states and the union territories that the online appointments booked for 2nd dose of Covishield prior to this change of the interval between the two doses of Covishield must be maintained. If such beneficiaries do come for vaccination, the second Covishield dose must be administered, and they must not be turned away.

In a relief to the people, amidst the reports of shortages for COVID-19 vaccines across the country, the MoHFW in a release on Sunday stated that nearly 51 lakh vaccines will be received by the states and the union territories in the next three days.