People travelling abroad can now take COVID-19 precaution dose 'as per destination rules'

Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Thursday said citizens and students travelling abroad can now take the COVID-19 precaution dose as required by the guidelines of the destination country.

"Indian citizens and students travelling overseas can now take the precaution dose as required by the guidelines of the destination country. This new facility will be available soon on the CoWIN portal," Mandaviya tweeted.

Indian citizens & students travelling overseas can now take the precaution dose as required by the guidelines of the destination country.

This new facility will be available soon on the CoWIN portal.

— Dr Mansukh Mandaviya (@mansukhmandviya) May 12, 2022

The government has earlier stipulated a nine-month waiting period between the second vaccine dose and the precaution dose.

The decision to relax the norms about the precaution dose for overseas travellers was based on recommendations by the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (NTAGI). The advisory panel had recommended that those who need to travel overseas can take the precaution dose of Covid vaccine as required by the country they are travelling to before the mandatory nine-month gap.

As of now, all those above 18 years who have completed nine months after the second dose are eligible for the precaution jab. India began administering precaution doses of Covid vaccines to healthcare and frontline workers and those aged 60 and above with comorbidities from January 10, 2022.

The comorbidity clause was removed in March making all people aged above 60 eligible for the precautionary dose of Covid vaccine. On April 10, India began administering precaution doses of COVID-19 vaccines to all aged above 18 years at private vaccination centres.