COVID: People above 60 yrs & Health workers can now register for precaution dose on CoWIN

With Omicron cases crossing the 500-mark in India, central government officials have initiated the process to inoculate the immunosuppressed people and people under the highest threat with additional vaccine shots, to boost up immunity against COVID.

The Health Ministry on Monday issued guidelines for the administration of the additional doses for Healthcare Workers and Frontline Workers, and all persons aged 60 years and above with comorbidities and who have received two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine from January 10, 2022, onwards. 

The government had also stated that the third dose will only be administered after the completion of nine months or 39 weeks after the second dose. “The prioritisation and sequencing of this precaution dose would be based on the completion of nine months i.e. 39 weeks from the date of administration of the second dose,” the Health Ministry said.

So, only those who have got the second dose of the vaccine in April 2021 will be able to get the third dose starting January 2022.

People above 60 years will be provided with a precaution dose on the advice of a doctor. As per the Centre, the administration of the ‘additional doses’ is a move to ensure abundant precaution against the spread of COVID.

Here’s How Healthcare Workers, Frontline Workers & Citizens 60+ with co-morbidities can book for the 'precaution dose' on CoWIN

1. All healthcare workers, frontline workers, and people aged 60 and up with comorbidities will be eligible to register for the precaution dose through their current Co-WIN accounts.
    
2. Eligibility for the precaution dose for such beneficiaries will be determined by the date of administration of the second dose as recorded in the Co-WIN system, hence those who have completed the 39 weeks/ nine months period after the administration of the second dose will be able to register for the third/booster dose.
    
3. When the precaution dose is due, the Co-WIN system will send an SMS to such beneficiaries, as a reminder to get jabbed.
    
4. Registration and appointment services are available in both online and on-site formats.
    
5. The vaccination certificates will accurately record details for administration of the precaution dose.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced on Saturday, December 25 about the ‘additional shots’ of the vaccines to the elderly, people with co-morbidities, healthcare and frontline workers and administering vaccines to teenagers in the age group of 15-18 years from next month onwards. This came after several researches suggested that the ‘highly mutated’ Omicron variant is capable of escaping the vaccine-induced immunity against COVID-19 and the demands for the booster dose were rising.

Image: PTI, Shutterstock