Errors in COVID vaccine certificates create headache for students who wish to enter colleges

Several students who have taken vaccines for COVID-19 are reportedly not being allowed inside their colleges as they are unable to download their vaccination certificates from CoWin portal owing to issues like erroneous contact number, name, age, and same dates for first and second doses. A few of the colleges that insist on vaccination certificates are Loyola College, Chellammal Women’s college, and AM Jain college. 

“I got the first dose at a government school in Meenambakkam in July. I have not even received a single message and thought it would take 10-15 days. It, however, has been two months now and the officials at the vaccination centre have stopped responding. They said they could arrange for a certificate saying I got vaccinated in September,” said A Tamizhselvan, a student of AM Jain College. He added the college is not accepting the vaccination card issued at the centre at the time of vaccination as proof. 

When contacted, a staff of the college said they are not accepting the cards because it is easy to duplicate them. Vaccination certificates are being insisted on to ensure everyone in the college is safe, especially in the backdrop of numerous cases erupting in schools across the State. 

Similar is the plight of Aishwarya from Chellammal Women’s college in Guindy. She has been skipping college since September 1 and running from pillar to post to get her vaccination registered.  “If we register as if we took a jab in September, the second dose will be delayed. I took my first dose in July. I know at least three of my friends facing similar issues,” she said. The college authorities could not be contacted for their response. 

The Directorate of Public Health and Preventive Medicine has instructed the health department officials to establish a help desk in State and Health-Unit-District levels to sort out issues raised by citizens on COVID-19 vaccination, including non-issuance of vaccination certificate, certificate correction, merging of certificates, and others. 

It may, however, be noted that the Tamil Nadu government had said that COVID-19 vaccination is not mandatory to attend physical classes in colleges across the State.

How to make corrections in certificates
The Directorate of Public Health and Preventive Medicine has instructed the health department officials to help State residents with vaccination-related issues. To lodge a complaint, the public can visit www.cowin.gov.in, click on register/sign in, enter mobile number, click on ‘Get OTP’, enter OTP, and click on ‘Verify’. After entering the account page, click on the ‘Raise an Issue’ tab.