New Delhi: The Union Health Ministry has compiled answers to 21 FAQs for the public, and an additional six for healthcare providers and frontline workers in connection with the COVID vaccine.
Here are some:
- Those who have recovered from COVID are advised to get a vaccine shot to develop strong immunity
- Those who have tested positive should defer vaccination for 14 days after symptoms are resolved
- All beneficiaries have to register officially for vaccination
- The vaccine will not be administered to those who don’t produce a photo ID at the site
- Two doses of vaccine, 28 days apart, need to be taken by an individual to complete the vaccination schedule as protective levels of antibodies are generally developed two weeks after receiving the second dose of COVID-19 vaccine.
- The families of healthcare and frontline workers will be vaccinated in the subsequent phases
- It is mandatory for beneficiaries to notify the Government, irrespective of whether they have been vaccinated in a government programme or at a private facility. Registration of the beneficiary is mandatory for vaccination. Only after registration will the information on the session site to visit and time be shared.
- Common adverse reactions are fever, body ache. “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,” it said.
- The document needed for registration can be any of the ten listed: driving licence, MGNERGA job card, PAN card, bank passbook, passport, pension document, voter ID, official IDs of MPs/ MLAs/ MLCs, government-issued service ID card and health insurance smartcard issued by Ministry of Labour. “Photo ID is a must for both registration and verification of beneficiary at the session site to ensure that the intended person is vaccinated,” the report added.