How fake precautionary dose 'SMS' are being used to bypass procedures and travel abroad in AP

Amaravati: Dear Usha (name changed), you have successfully been vaccinated with your Precaution Dose with COVISHIELD on 13-05-2022 at 03:42 PM. You may download your vaccination Certificate from - https://cowin.gov.in - CoWIN.

Usha is among many people who have received the message, though she has yet to visit the vaccination center. When Usha approached the local volunteer, she was asked that those who could not make it to the vaccination center on the stipulated date are receiving the messages.

"Volunteer said those who have skipped the date for booster dose are receiving such messages. It takes time for my next schedule, and if it's urgent, I have to pay money and get vaccinated through some volunteer", said Usha.

CoWin website of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has revealed that 191 crore vaccination doses have been administered to date, targeting more than 5 lakh people every day.

However, the numbers do not add up on the ground. Most of the people, who have not taken a precautionary dose, are receiving messages that they have been "successfully jabbed", leaving them in a lurch.

Traveling with a fake certificate:

Many people are using fake booster dose messages to travel abroad. Many countries have made a booster dose vaccination certificate compulsory for travelers. Few people are seen skipping the booster dose and using fake certificates to travel abroad.

"I tested positive for Omicron in the third wave. I decided not to take a booster dose, which I heard is said to have severe side effects. Fortunately, I received a message that my vaccination was successful. I downloaded the certificate and planned to travel abroad," said Anupama.

Twitter campaign:

Fake vaccination messages have been an issue. It started from the second dose schedule and continues till now. Many people took to Twitter to highlight the issue. There are also instances when the deceased have received vaccination messages. People have urged the government to make the vaccination procedure more systematic to avoid such things.

What do officials say?

According to the officials, there have been technical glitches in the vaccination procedure. Many people receive fake vaccination messages. Officials have urged people not to panic and get their vaccination done if they haven't. They have urged people to seek help from the local volunteers.