Covishield Update: 2nd Dose Appointment After 84 Days Only; Already Booked Slots Valid

New Delhi: Ever since the minimum gap between two doses of Covishield vaccine was increased from 42 days to 84 days, there has been confusion among those who were preparing to get their second jab as per the previous guideline.

There were some who complained that they had been denied the second dose (Covisheld) at vaccination centres over the last three days despite having prior appointments.

On Sunday, the Union Ministry of Health & Family Welfare clarified that the requisite changes have been made in the CoWIN portal. As a result, further online or on-site appointments will not be possible if the period after first dose (Covishield) date for a beneficiary is less than 84 days.

Also, online appointments already booked for second dose of Covishield will remain valid and are not being cancelled by CoWIN. Further, beneficiaries have been advised to reschedule their appointments for a later date beyond the 84th day from the date of first dose vaccination.

The COVID Working Group, chaired by Dr NK Arora, had recommended extension of the gap between the first and second doses of Covishield vaccine to 12-16 weeks. This was accepted by Government of India on May 13.