Foreign nationals residing in India can now receive the Covid-19 vaccine by registering themselves on the CoWin platform, the Union health ministry announced on Monday.
Like other eligible beneficiaries, the foreign nationals can book a slot via the portal and use their passport as a document to verify their identity for the registration process, it added.
“Together We Fight, Together We Win. Govt has now allowed foreign nationals residing in India to register on CoWin portal and take #COVID19 vaccine. This will ensure overall safety from the transmission of the virus,” the office of Union health minister Mansukh Mandaviya said.
Providing more details, a statement from the health ministry read: “In a landmark initiative to ensure safety from Covid-19, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has taken a decision to allow foreign nationals residing in India to get registered on CoWin portal to take Covid-19 vaccine. They can use their passport as identity document for the purpose of registration on CoWIN portal. Once they are registered on this portal, they will get a slot for vaccination.”
“A significant number of foreign nationals are living in India, especially in large metropolitan areas. In these areas, the potential of spread of Covid-19 is high due to higher population density. To counter any possibility of such occurrence, it is important to vaccinate all eligible persons,” the ministry statement added.
{{/usCountry}}“A significant number of foreign nationals are living in India, especially in large metropolitan areas. In these areas, the potential of spread of Covid-19 is high due to higher population density. To counter any possibility of such occurrence, it is important to vaccinate all eligible persons,” the ministry statement added.
{{/usCountry}}According to the ministry, the latest initiative will ensure the safety of foreign nationals residing in the country. It will also bring down the possibilities of transmission of infection from unvaccinated persons in India. It will further ensure overall safety from further transmission of Covid-19 virus, the government said.
“As it has been said that no one is safe until everyone is safe, so the government is also ensuring that everyone in the country is able to receive the Covid-19 vaccine shot. This is an attempt in that direction,” a senior central government official aware of the matter said, wishing not to be named.
The vaccination drive in the country began on January 16 this year by covering all eligible healthcare workers and frontline workers in the first phase.
The drive was gradually extended to citizens above 60 years of age and those above 45 years of age suffering from 20-specified co-morbidities from March 1 as part of second phase.
On May 1, the government opened the drive to those who were 18 years and above as part of a liberalised and accelerated phase 3 strategy of Covid-19 vaccination in the country.