E-Paper
Vaccination vexation: Contradictory messages leave J&K’s 45+ group baffled
The request to reschedule comes after the Centre revised its norms to increase the gap between the doses to 12 to 13 week
J&K’s ‘45 plus’ vaccination beneficiaries were perplexed after they first received a message asking them to appear at their chosen site to receive the second dose of the coronavirus vaccine, followed by another message asking them to reschedule.
The request to reschedule comes after the Centre revised its norms to increase the gap between the doses to 12 to 13 weeks. A Jammu resident, Kunal Shrivatsa, who was one of the recipients of the contradictory messages, said the revised norms had been announced on May 13 but he and his family had booked a slot on May 12.
“Dear Kunal Shrivatsa, Your vaccination is scheduled for 22-05-2021 01:00PM-04:00PM at KOT BHALWAL. Your booking reference ID is 14230350723762 and your 4 digits secret code for vaccination is 3762 – CoWIN,” read the first message, received on May 12.
“Dear Kunal Shrivatsa, scheduled vaccination on 22-05-2021 is cancelled, Inconvenience is regretted. Reschedule on cowin.gov.in,” read the second message, received on May 16.
Centre had said pre-booked appointments will not be cancelled
Notably, on May 16, the Union health ministry had said, “Online appointments, already booked for the second dose of the Covishield vaccine, will remain valid and the same will not be cancelled on Co-WIN platform.”
It, however, said requisite changes have now been made to the CoWIN digital portal, as a result of which further online or on-site appointments will not be possible if the period after first dose date for a beneficiary is less than 84 days.
Financial commissioner health and medical education Atal Dulloo said slots had been rescheduled as per revised norms. While Dulloo said more supplies were on their way to J&K, a senior health official said the UT was facing shortage of vaccines.
No vaccination in Valley in 5 days
Kashmir valley had recorded no vaccination on Sunday in a striking contrast to the Centre’s claims of despatching vaccines on a daily basis. The health bulletin says none has been vaccinated in the last five days.
“It seems the government’s exercise of re-scheduling the gap from first dose to 12 to 16 weeks is either because it has run out of vaccines or production has not been scaled up to the requisite level,” said Naveen Mattoo, a Kashmiri Pandit.
