T P Venu
First the good news: Several universities in US, UK and other countries are planning to start regular or physical in-person classes from Fall 2021. The bad news: The World Health Organisation (WHO) has only approved Covishield and its dosage interval in 12 to 16 weeks. So that leaves Indian students at a great disadvantage.
A great many students from India opt for more than 400 colleges and universities in the US alone and are eager to get admission this Fall but the US has mandated that students get vaccinated ahead of the Autumn semester. As a result, aspiring students are running from pillar to post to get vaccinated and that only with Covishield.
What do universities say
- Most universities in the US have asked for complete inoculation against COVID-19.
- Columbia University in New York, US announced in April 2021 that the COVID-19 vaccination was mandatory for all students who will be present on campus, starting fall 2021.
- Only Covishield has been approved by the WHO while India’s indigenous Covaxin and Russian Sputnik V have not been approved by the WHO as yet.
- Another notification on the website dated 28 May 2021 stated that students will have to upload vaccine documentation such as a picture or copy of their CDC card, WHO booklet, or a physician letter containing details of their vaccinations to their university’s portal latest by 02 August 2021.
- Stanford University and Indiana University have also issued mandatory vaccination guidelines for students
- The California State University announced that COVID-19 vaccination will be mandatory for students, faculty, and staff.
- Australian and Canadian universities are yet to formulate such rules.
- Indian students are not able to register for vaccination due to lack of slots. Students from India, which is on the red-list (or high-risk countries), will have mandatory 10 days’ quarantine.
- China and India made up nearly 62% of all the international students in the US in 2020. There were around 1.93 lakh students from India, the second highest after China.
- Only those who have taken Pfizer, Moderna, or Janssen vaccines are considered fully vaccinated after two weeks of second/single dose as per the vaccine requirement. If one does not meet these requirements, regardless of age, they are considered not fully vaccinated.
- The UK government announced that all English universities could return to in-person teaching from 17 May 2021. Students from India, which is on the red-list (or high-risk countries), will have mandatory 10 days quarantine. Canada has not made mandatory requirements pertaining to vaccination for International students. However, students may have to undergo mandatory quarantine for up to 14 days.
Challenge for India students
Quite a few people have complained about not being able to book slots on the COWIN platform. An individual has to wait for a minimum of three months to get both doses.The states of Kerala and Telangana and Mumbai city have prioritized the vaccination process for students going abroad for higher studies. The Kerala Government has also reduced the gap for the two doses of Covishield to 4 to 6 weeks, for those traveling abroad. The Central Government needs to consider these difficulties and make appropriate changes in dosage intervals for those traveling abroad for studies and other needs, on the lines of the Kerala government.
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