COVID vaccination to be voluntary, will be on par with global standards: Health Ministry

As India is on the cusp of introducing COVID-19 vaccines in the country, the Union Health Ministry on Friday said that getting vaccinated for COVID-19 will be voluntary while underscoring that the vaccine to be introduced in India will be on par with global standards and as effective as the vaccines developed in other countries.

"Vaccination for COVID-19 is voluntary. However, it is advisable to receive the complete schedule of the vaccine for protecting oneself 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.

This response comes after several doubts were asked to the ministry in connection with the inoculation of the vaccine. The ministry listed a series of frequently asked questions (FAQs) on COVID-19 vaccine on Thursday night and responded to questions like if taking a vaccine was mandatory, how long does it take for the antibodies to develop and if it was necessary for a COVID recovered person to take the vaccine.

Allaying fear of the common citizens, the Health Ministry stated that only when the regulatory bodies clear the vaccines based on their safety and efficacy, will they be launched in the country. 

The Health Ministry earlier had stated that these vaccines will be administered in multiple doses (two to three doses) and each dose requires a gap of three to four weeks. However, he reiterated that COVID-19 norms and safety protocols need to be rigorously adhered to even after the inoculation of the vaccine once available.

The Centre has stated that the health care workers, who have been at the forefront of the battle against COVID-19, will be vaccinated first, followed by other frontline workers. "Therefore, healthcare and frontline workers are among the first group of people to be vaccinated,"' the ministry said.

READ | AIIMS Delhi Unable To Find Volunteers For Phase-3 Trial Of Bharat Biotech's COVID Vaccine

READ | COVID-19: 6 Vaccines In Clinical Trial Stages In India, Some May Get Licensed In Few Weeks

Procedure for vaccination

The ministry has also stated that a citizen will have to get registered for getting vaccinated after which the information about the details of vaccination will be shared to the person wanting to get vaccinated. The beneficiary will receive an SMS on his/her registered mobile number on the due date, place and time of vaccination.

ID 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.

The Ministry has also said that a QR code-based certificate will also be sent to the registered mobile number of the beneficiary after the inoculation of all the doses of vaccine. It is also advised to rest for at least half an hour at the vaccination centre after the inoculation. In case the beneficiary feels any discomfort or uneasiness, then he may inform the nearest health authorities. 

The Ministry has categorically stated that COVID-19 guidelines have to be adhered to strictly even after the inoculation of COVID-19 vaccine.

READ | Putin Claims COVID-19 Vaccine Sputnik V Has 95% Efficacy, Terms It 'safe And Efficient'

READ | WHO Says COVID-19 Vaccine 'not A Silver Bullet', Warns 'we All Remain At Risk'

Six vaccines to be introduced in India

Six vaccines are in the fray to be introduced in India to counter the threat of COVID-19 - Covaxin, developed by Bharat Biotech in collaboration with ICMR, the second one being  ZyCov-D developed by Zydus Cadila, the third one by is an mRNA vaccine developed by Gennova. The fourth one is developed by Oxford vaccine in collaboration with the Serum Institute of India. Moreover, Sputnik V vaccine is also being manufactured by Dr Reddy's Lab, Hyderabad, in collaboration with Russia's Gamaleya National Centre which will be introduced in India. The sixth one manufactured by Biological E Ltd, Hyderabad, in collaboration with MIT, USA is also undergoing clinical trials in India.

(With PTI inputs)