As our country faces a vaccine shortage, students of IIT Gandhinagar in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, were administered the Covishield vaccine early in April.
I am a final year student and at the time of receiving the vaccine, I was unaware that I am ineligible, ie not in the government-mandated age-group to get the jab. While I knew the vaccine was available to persons above 45 years of age, I thought that students are beginning to be vaccinated as well. I had read some reports that the Department of Higher Education had requested the Health Ministry to vaccinate faculty, students, and staff of centrally funded technical institutions. This request was however, declined. Regardless, over 900 students and 500 staff members have been vaccinated, and there is no response from the administration yet as to how the vaccines were procured.