Mumbai: BMC to seek waiver on Covishield for students going abroad

Many students are not confident about Covaxin saying it is yet to get WHO listing. Pic/Ashish Raje

To help students planning to pursue higher education in foreign universities, the BMC will write to the Centre seeking concession in the mandatory 84-day interval between the two doses of Covishield. Earlier, Shiv Sena minister Aaditya Thackeray had asked the civic body to look into the queries of such students.

Mumbai students trying for admission during the fall season say they do not have the luxury of time to wait for nearly three months for the second shot and that they need some concession on this front.

The BMC has permitted students to get vaccinated without an appointment at Kasturba, Cooper and Rajawadi hospitals between Monday and Wednesday by showing valid IDs and their admit cards from foreign universities.

Also Read: Mumbai: Covid-19 vaccination opens for students headed abroad for studies

If the long 84-day window was not enough, a lot of students are also confused about whether to take Covaxin as the vaccine is not yet on the WHO-approved list, though two shots of the vaccine can be taken in a gap of four weeks. The vaccine maker has said it hopes to get the listing soon.

A student from Andheri who has a valid admit card from a foreign varsity said, "I am willing to take the vaccine but I am not sure if Covaxin will be approved by the time I am due to fly. My semester starts in August and I have to go by mid-July. The problem with Covishield is that I do not have 84 days for the second dose. I hope that the Centre allows us to take the second jab [Covishiled] within six weeks."

However, civic officials are not sure if their efforts will bear fruit. A senior BMC official who did not wish to be named said, "We are looking into this but not much is in our hands. We will have to write to the Centre seeking some waiver for these students but the final decision lies with them."

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No. of civic hospitals where such students can walk in