To ensure that Indian students do not miss out on their crucial academic time owing to vaccination criteria, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has urged the Centre to reduce the 84 days gap between two doses. The officials of the BMC have said that they have received a positive response from the Union health ministry officials, and the matter will be resolved soon.
Many students from the state who have secured admissions abroad are uncertain of making it as many countries have made both doses mandatory before joining universities. The fear that they might not be able to make it for August-September intake owing to the central government recommendation of an 84-day gap between two doses has left them worried.
While initially, the gap between two doses was 28 days, later it was increased to four to eight weeks. The COVID Working Group chaired by Dr N K Arora then recommended an extension of the gap between the first and second doses of covishield vaccine to 12-16 weeks which was accepted by the Government of India on 13th May 2021.
“Students cannot register or schedule for the second dose until they complete the recommended number of days. Even if they wish to take jabs from a private hospital or private premises tied up with the local private hospital, they will have to do it via CoWin / Aarogya Setu app. Two days back during a meeting with central government officials, we shared this problem with them and expressed our stance. Hence we have requested the central government to reduce the gap between the two doses and consider this issue as a priority. We are expecting a decision to this effect very soon," said Suresh Kakani- Additional Municipal Commissioner (Health)
Colleges in the US have categorically stated that foreign students should have received both doses of the vaccine before joining their course. The new rule raises prospects of state students having to re-schedule their flights or cancel their admissions unless the state government steps in to help them. Most students have taken at least one shot of Covishield, but they will get their second dose only by mid-August – which means they will miss the deadline for reporting at the university.
