Vadodara: Booster shot pending, people get ‘you are jabbed’ message

VADODARA: The familiar story of unvaccinated people getting messages of vaccination and even being able to generate vaccination certificates is being told again. Those eligible for the third preventive dose get such messages whenever they are due to take the shot.

An elderly couple in Gotri was in for a surprise when they got messages stating that they had taken the preventive dose. Both had taken the second dose together and hence got the messages on the same day in quick succession.

The Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) is facing heat over the issue online too. People have slammed the civic body regarding the issue. A social media user tagged VMC and pointed out that she and her husband had not taken the preventive dose, but received messages.

Another case is that of a woman who received the message regarding vaccination even when she was not in Vadodara and did not get vaccinated. And there is the incident of a woman who had Covid recently and could hence did not take the third dose, but a message declaring her vaccinated was duly sent.

Wasim Sheikh a political worker from Tandalja who had prepared a list of around 75 persons known to him who did not take the second dose, but got messages said that he had come to know that this was happening earlier. “I am yet to gather details, but this is quite possible,” he said.

VMC officials said that the only reason for the messages could be a technical error. “The number of complaints we are receiving is much lesser than what we got earlier. Officials have been asked to be careful with the details of persons they vaccinate,” an official said.

VMC’s medical officer (health) Dr Devesh Patel said that the complaints may have been there earlier, but now that was not the case. “Those going for vaccination have to provide an OTP after which they are given the shot,” he said.

Patel added that now people also had the option of revoking and changing their vaccination status. VMC has also posted this from its social media accounts and explained the process to citizens.