Vaccinated or not? Erroneous records leave people confused in Bengaluru

Gangadhar N. got his parents vaccinated with the first dose at a private hospital in central Bengaluru in the early days of the COVID-19 vaccine rollout. Though they didn’t receive any updates on thei

Gangadhar N. got his parents vaccinated with the first dose at a private hospital in central Bengaluru in the early days of the COVID-19 vaccine rollout. Though they didn’t receive any updates on their phones, they were given printouts with the vaccination details. When it was time for the second dose, confusion reigned. “With cases increasing, we found a primary health centre very close to our house and decided to go there instead of travelling all the way to the Central Business District. When the staff checked the database, there was no record of the first dose. We thankfully had the printout, which we reproduced, and the second dose was administered. But now when we are trying to get the final vaccination certificate, it is still showing as ‘first dose’,” he said, wondering how he would get the certificates. “We don’t know what we will need them for in the future, but it is definitely necessary to have it.” This is not a one-off case. Similar stories are being heard from people who are partially or fully vaccinated. And with the mega drive for vaccination of those aged 18-44 set to begin in the near future, there is anxiety about whether these glitches will be addressed.