KOLKATA: The state health department has designated nodal officers at three levels to facilitate the Covishield second dose at a gap of 28 days to those travelling abroad for academic and professional reasons.
Following appeals from students across the nation, the authorities recently said those headed for foreign universities would not have to wait for the now-mandatory 84 days for their second dose of Covishield but could take it at the end of 28 days as they would have to reach their campuses abroad within a deadline.
The exception was also extended to those going abroad for work as well as the Indian contingent to the Tokyo Olympics.
Foreign universities demand that students from India be fully vaccinated and that they take Covishield only.
“An officer at the rank of assistant director of health services at the state level, a KMC commissioner or his authorized officer for the city and chief medical officers of health in districts have been entrusted with the responsibility of overseeing second dose of this category of recipients,” said a source at Swasthya Bhawan.
Ishita Mandal, studying computer science at Arizona State University, has completed her first semester online.
She will travel to the US in the first week of August for physical classes.
“ I am relieved I will be allowed to take my second dose in a 28 days’ gap, allowing me to reach the campus on time,” said Mandal.