Beneficiaries above 60 years of age are not required to show a certificate or prescription as a proof of co-morbidity in order to receive the third dose of the coronavirus vaccine, the Union health ministry said on Tuesday. The ministry asked senior citizens to consult with their doctors before opting for the dose.

In an address to the nation late on Saturday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced that healthcare workers and those over 60 years with co-morbidities will receive a “precautionary dose” of the coronavirus vaccine from January 10.

In a release on Monday, the health ministry had said that healthcare workers and senior citizens will be able to register for the third dose through their existing CoWIN accounts.

The release added that the priority of beneficiaries who receive the third dose will be decided upon based on the completion of nine months from their second doses.

As and when senior citizens and healthcare workers complete nine months of their second doses of the vaccine, they will receive an SMS from the CoWIN platform informing that they are eligible for the third shot, the health ministry said.

Meanwhile, children in the age group of 15 to 18, who will become eligible for vaccination from January 3, will only receive Covaxin shots, the health ministry said on Monday. CoWIN registrations for this category will open on January 1, while walk-in registrations will also be available from January 3, when the inoculation process of the teenagers begins.

On Tuesday, the Centre advised states to set up separate vaccination centres for those in the 15-18 age group. The health ministry also said that in other general vaccination centres too, a separate queue and inoculation team should be maintained.