Mumbai: Confusion as vaccination centres seek travel proof for boosters

MUMBAI: The rules about administration of Covid-19 vaccine’s booster dose before nine months to those travelling abroad are mired in a lot of confusion. Primarily, the Centre has said those taking the precautionary dose need not produce any travel documents. However, vaccination centres in Maharashtra are planning to ask for proof to show the recipient is indeed travelling abroad and that too under one of the grounds stated by the Centre.

The state or the corporation immunisation department has not released any guidelines yet on whether vaccination centres should check travel documents for the precautionary dose.

The Centre on May 12 allowed Indians travelling abroad to take the booster shot three months after the second dose, instead of nine months, if mandated in the guidelines of the destination country. In a circular issued a day later, the Union health ministry said people who need to travel for “educational purpose, employment opportunities, participation in sports tournaments, bilateral, multilateral meetings as part of India’s official delegation, for attending business commitments, etc” can take the third shot.

Importantly, the rules underlined that there was no need to upload any documents on CoWin, such as visa and travel documents, to prove they are undertaking international travel. This clause has left vaccination centres in a quandary. One centre head told TOI, “Without checking travel documents how can we tell the individual is travelling for any one of the reasons the Union health ministry has underlined? In fact, how can we tell if the individual is travelling abroad at all?”

He added that there is a question mark on whether those travelling for leisure can take the third dose since the Centre’s circular does not mention it.

Some centres in Maharshtra have decided to ask for travel documents. Dr Balkrishna Adsul, dean of SevenHills Hospital, said they have given booster shots to two individuals based on their tickets and passport. “Without these documents, anyone can demand a booster,” he said.