Foreign Nationals Now Eligible For COVID Vaccination In India: Government

New Delhi: To ensure safety from COVID-19, the Union Health Ministry has taken a decision to allow foreign nationals residing in India to register on CoWin portal and get vaccinated against the disease. They can use their passport as an identity document for the purpose of registration on CoWIN portal, the health ministry said in a statement. Once they are registered on this portal, they will get a slot for vaccination.

According to the statement, a significant number of foreign nationals are living in India, especially in large metropolitan areas. In these areas, the potential of the 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.

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In a landmark initiative to ensure safety from COVID-19, the Ministry of Health has taken a decision to allow foreign nationals residing in India to get registered on CoWin portal to take the COVID-19 vaccine. This initiative will ensure the safety of foreign nationals residing in India. It will also bring down the possibilities of further transfer of infection from unvaccinated persons residing in India. It will also ensure overall safety from the further transmission of coronavirus, the ministry said in the statement.

The national COVID-19 vaccination programme is being implemented across all states and union territories since January 16, 2021. The vaccination programme in its current phase covers all citizens aged 18 years and above. As of August 9, 2021, India has administered more than 51 crore vaccine doses across the country.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

NDTV – Dettol Banega Swasth India campaign is an extension of the five-year-old Banega Swachh India initiative helmed by Campaign Ambassador Amitabh Bachchan. It aims to spread awareness about critical health issues facing the country. In wake of the current COVID-19 pandemic, the need for WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) is reaffirmed as handwashing is one of the ways to prevent Coronavirus infection and other diseases. The campaign highlights the importance of nutrition and healthcare for women and children to prevent maternal and child mortality, fight malnutrition, stunting, wasting, anaemia and disease prevention through vaccines. Importance of programmes like Public Distribution System (PDS), Mid-day Meal Scheme, POSHAN Abhiyan and the role of Aganwadis and ASHA workers are also covered. Only a Swachh or clean India where toilets are used and open defecation free (ODF) status achieved as part of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2014, can eradicate diseases like diahorrea and become a Swasth or healthy India. The campaign will continue to cover issues like air pollution, waste management, plastic ban, manual scavenging and sanitation workers and menstrual hygiene.