The photo along with the words of the prime minister in vaccination certificates reinforce the message for creating awareness about following Covid-appropriate behaviour even after inoculation, the Rajya Sabha was told on Tuesday.

The formats of Covid-19 vaccination certificates being issued from CoWIN are standardised and conform to the evolving WHO guidance on verifiable inoculation certificates, Minister of State for Health Bharati Pravin Pawar said in a written reply.

She was responding to a question on whether it is necessary and compulsory to print photographs of the prime minister on the Covid vaccination certificate.

"Given the context of the pandemic, its evolving nature and the fact that following of Covid-appropriate behaviours has emerged as one of the most critical measures for preventing the spread of disease.

"The photograph along with the message of the prime minister in the vaccination certificates reinforces the message for creating awareness about the importance of following Covid-19 appropriate behaviour even after vaccination, in the larger public interest," Pawar said.

It is the moral and ethical responsibility of the government to ensure that such critical messages are disseminated to people in the most effective manner, she said.

"The format of vaccination certificate, compliant with WHO norms for vaccination certificates, including the message and presentation about the importance of following Covid-appropriate behaviour even after vaccination, has been decided keeping all these factors in consideration.

"All states and Union Territories are using CoWIN application for Covid-19 vaccination and vaccination certificates are generated through CoWIN in a standard format," the minister said.