Taking Covid-19 vaccine voluntary but registration must for beneficiaries: Ministry of Health reveals in FAQs

The ministry of health said the vaccine introduced in India will be effective as any other developed in any other country.

It also asserted that the complete schedule of the anti-coronavirus vaccine must be taken whether or not the recipient has contracted coronavirus infection, and underlined that the protective level of antibodies generally develops 14 days after the second dose.

The two doses have to be taken 28 days apart to complete the vaccination schedule, it added.

The ministry responded to a list of questions on coronavirus vaccine like how many days it takes to develop immunity against the virus after taking the vaccine, whether it is compulsory to take the vaccine and if a person who has recovered from coronavirus needs to take the vaccine.

“Vaccination for Covid-19 is voluntary. However, it is advisable to receive the complete schedule of the vaccine for protecting one-self against this disease and also to limit the spread of this disease to the close contacts including family members, friends, relatives and co-workers,” the ministry said in response to a question on if it is mandatory to take the shot, reported HT.

The ministry informed that it would be compulsory for a beneficiary to get registered to get vaccinated, following which  the information on the session site to visit and time will be shared, added the report.

Thereafter, the beneficiary will receive a message (SMS) on their registered mobile number on the date, place and time of vaccination, it said.

ID with Photo such as driving license, Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) job card, PAN Card, passbooks issued by Bank/Post Office, passport, Pension Document , service identity card issued to employees by Central/ State Govt./ Public Limited Companies and voter ID may be produced at the time of registration.

On completing the vaccination schedule, the beneficiaries will receive an SMS and a QR code based certificate will be made available on their registered mobile number of the beneficiary, the ministry said.

Asked if it would be safe to take the vaccine as it has been developed within a short period, the ministry said the vaccines will be introduced in the country only after the regulatory bodies clear them for efficacy and safety.

“Covid-19 vaccine will be introduced only when the safety is proven. As is true for other vaccines, the common side effects in some individuals could be mild fever, pain, etc. at the site of injection,” the ministry said in the FAQs, reported HT.

The ministry said it has asked the states to make arrangements to deal with vaccine related side effects as part of safe vaccine delivery

The ministry clarified that cancer, diabetes, hypertension etc, patients can take the Covid-19 vaccine as such people with one or more of these comorbid conditions are considered high-risk category and they need to get vaccination, the report added.

In case of discomfort after receiving the vaccine “We request you to rest at the vaccination centre for at least half an hour after taking the Covid-19 vaccine.

“Inform the nearest health authorities/ANM/ASHA in case you feel any discomfort or uneasiness subsequently. Remember to continue following key Covid Appropriate Behaviours like wearing a mask, maintaining hand sanitization and physical distance,” it added, the report stated.