Kochi (Kerala) [India]: Central government on Thursday made it clear in the Kerala High Court that there is currently no provision for taking a third dose of vaccine after receiving two doses. This statement was made during the hearing of a petition submitted by a Kannur native who had received two doses of Covaxin but wanted to be re-vaccinated with Covishield now, as Covaxin was not approved in Saudi Arabia where he had his job. Central Government further said, “Studies on taking another dose after taking two doses of vaccine are still in progress. It will take months to complete. No guidelines have been received on this. So, the petitioner will have to wait.” Last week, the Central Government stated in the Court while hearing that, “Those who have received two doses of COVID-19 vaccine cannot be re-vaccinated. A person who receives more than two vaccines is more likely to have health problems. There is currently no provision for giving more than two doses of the vaccine per person. There is no international guideline for administering the third dose vaccine. Taking an overdose of the vaccine can lead to health problems. No other studies have been conducted in this regard. The petitioner’s claim cannot be considered in this case. If we consider this demand, more people are likely to approach the court with a similar demand.” Girikumar, 50, submitted a petition stating that Covaxin is not recognised in Saudi Arabia, and as per his visa stipulation, he has to return to Saudi Arabia before August 30, or he would lose his job. According to the petition, he returned to India due to the COVID-19 second wave in Saudi Arabia in January and when the Centre provided vaccines for people aged above 45, he registered on the Cowin portal using his passport details. “He got the first Covaxin dose on April 17, and the second a month later. It was only after receiving Covaxin that he came to know that it is not approved by the Saudi government. Had the authorities informed the public about the non-recognition of Covaxin earlier, he would not have taken it. He never knew his decision would put his job abroad in jeopardy,” read the petition.
