Covid vaccine registration for healthcare, frontline workers resumes but only at govt centres

In light of rising cases and to ensure genuine workers aren't left out, govt resumes process. For healthcare workers between 18-44 years, employment certificate to be submitted with ID.

A health worker administering a Covid-19 vaccine shot | Manisha Mondal | ThePrint

New Delhi: Two days after the Government of India directed states to stop all fresh vaccine registrations for healthcare and frontline workers citing fraudulent entries, the process has now been restarted with the provision that new registrations can only happen at government vaccination centres.

In a letter to states Monday, Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan wrote: “On site registration facility for genuinely leftover HCWs/FLWs will henceforth be available only in the government CVCs. For on-site registration, it will be mandatory for the HCW/FLW to submit or produce the original photo ID being used for vaccination and a copy of the employment certificate…”

This applies only to healthcare workers (HCW) and frontline workers (FLW) who are aged between 18 years and 44 years.

On Saturday, Bhushan had asked states to stop fresh registrations citing an inexplicable 24 per cent rise in the HCW database in a short period of time, noting that these were likely to be registrations of ineligible individuals.

Workers, employers responsible for submitting genuine information

Bhushan’s latest letter also goes on to say that the employer and the person being vaccinated will be “personally responsible” for the accuracy of the information in the employment certificate and it will be mandatory for the verifier to capture the employment certificate in the CoWIN system prior to registration.

Appropriate changes are being made in the CoWin system to incorporate these revisions in the registration process.

“It is important to vaccinate healthcare and frontline workers especially since the disease is once again on the rise … this move will ensure that genuine workers are not left out,” an official explained to ThePrint.

As Bhushan mentioned in his earlier letter, it was the decision of the national expert group for vaccine administration for Covid-19 (NEGVAC) that fresh registrations stop. However, that decision was revisited in light of the additional risks in case patients and healthcare workers are not vaccinated, officials said.

(Edited by Manasa Mohan)