Got Covid-19 vaccine? You’ll get QR code certificate on phone
The certificate will act as a ‘vaccine passport’ for international travellers and also help curb the cases of fake claims of immunisation
All vaccine beneficiaries in Maharashtra will be given a vaccination certificate with unique QR (quick response) code as proof of their Covid-19 immunisation.
From January 16 (Saturday), the mass immunisation process against coronavirus is set to commence across the country.
So far, 7.72 lakh healthcare workers have registered on Covid-19 Vaccine Intelligence Network (Co-WIN) — an online app for planning, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of the immunisation process.
As per a new feature on Co-WIN , the unique QR code-based vaccination certificate can be saved on mobile phones. The certificate will act as a ‘vaccine passport’ for international travellers and also help curb the cases of fake claims of immunisation.
“The unique QR code generation for each beneficiary will act as proof that the person has received the vaccine,” said state immunisation officer Dr D Patil.
“As everything will be centralised, the code will contain all the requisite information about the individual. So if anyone provides a fake vaccination certificate, the authorities can easily nab the person,” he added.
As per protocol, interchanging different types of vaccines is not allowed and a person should take both the shots of a single vaccine. The second shot is administered 28 days after the first dose.
Beneficiaries may develop minor side effects such as fever and body ache. The Maharashtra health department has trained its vaccinators to also address the problem of side effects.
“People with weaker immunity such as cancer patients or those suffering from diabetes, need to take the vaccine, as they fall into the category of high-risk groups. They should take at least a 30-minute rest after taking the shot,” said Patil.
