Vax certificate delay forces people to put off work, travel

Vax certificate delay forces people to put off work, travel

Ram.Sundaram@timesgroup.com

Chennai:17.06.2021

Delay in sending text messages and uploading vaccination certificates on the Union government’s CoWIN portal has forced people in Chennai and its suburbs to cancel their air trips, shut shops and defer job offers.

A proof of getting vaccination is mandatory for flying to several foreign countries, working at private offices in the and running shops in wholesale markets.

But many, even those who got their jabs last month, are yet to get a certficiates or SMS to their registered mobile number.

Asha Nair, who took her second dose on May 11 at a government special camp, said that till date the CoWIN portal shows her vaccination status as pending. Her employer has been seeking the proof since June 1. “We don’t know what to do now as there is not even an effective helpline to get the issue sorted,” she said. The existing helpline is more often than not non-responsive.

Ezhumalai, 65, who runs a banana shop at Koyambedu market, has been waiting for vaccination proof for more than a month now.

“The Market Management Committee has reiterated that entry will soon be barred for those who haven't got vaccinated. The only way now is to get a third dose for the sake of certification. But I’m not sure whether it is medically advisable,” he said.

Kumar Subramaniam, whose regular air trips have been affected, said there was a possibility of health insurance renewals or even government welfare schemes being linked to vaccination certificates.

“There was no point in complaining then. So it is better to get it done now," he said.

‘Citizen’ Senthil, a resident-activist from Iyappanthangal, said not uploading the details or certificates regularly on CoWIN portal could pave the way for malpractices. “Already people have suffered a lot and managed to get vaccinated after standing in long queues. So the government should take efforts not to burden them further by delaying certification.”

A senior health official said it took more than 30 minutes at times to upload a single document on CoWIN. “We are trying to clear backlog soon.”