Booster dose: No medical certificate required for people above 60 yrs

All persons aged 60 years and above with co-morbidities will not be required to submit any certificate from the doctor, at the time of administration of precaution dose.

The ministry issued guidelines for vaccination of children between 15 and 18 years of age and precaution doses for healthcare workers (HCWs), frontline workers (FLWs) and people who are 60 or older with comorbidities. It added that beneficiaries are expected to take advice of their doctors before availing the precaution dose.

Last week Prime Minister Narendra Modi in an address announced precaution doses for people above 60 years in the view of the Omicron variant. Vaccination for children in the age of 15-18 years will begin from January 3, 2022. The health ministry further said that appointments can be booked online or onsite (walk-in). Vaccination services for the walk-in mode will be available subject to the availability of vaccination slots
 
The ministry also announced that personnel to be deployed in election duty in poll-bound states will also be included in the category of frontline workers (FLWs).

Another dose of vaccine would be provided from January 10 to health care workers and front-line workers who have received two doses.

To qualify for a precaution dose, there are 20 medical co-morbidities criteria including diabetes, kidney disease or on dialysis, cardiovascular diseases, stemcell transplant, cancer, cirrhosis, sickle cell disease, current prolonged use of steroids or immunosuppressant drugs, muscular dystrophy/acid attack with involvement of respiratory system/persons with disabilities having high support needs/ multiple disabilities including deaf-blindness and severe respiratory disease with hospitalisations in last two years.

A booster dose certificate will also be given to beneficiaries.