The Central Government has created the Co-WIN application dedicated to monitoring real time management of Covid-19 vaccination across the country. India is going to start its second phase of the Covid-19 vaccination drive to inoculate people above 60 years and those over 45 with comorbidities against the coronavirus from March 1. The eligible beneficiaries who are entitled to receive the Covid-19 vaccine from March 1, would be able to register themselves on the CO-WIN platform from March 1onwards.
“There are several procedures wherein beneficiaries can get registered themselves for the vaccine. The beneficiary would be able to register themselves on the CO-WIN platform from Monday itself,” Chairman of Empowered Group on Covid-19 Vaccine Administration R S Sharma told media. “First, there will be a walk-in provision for the entitled beneficiary to get themselves register at the vaccination site for the vaccine. At the session site, volunteers would help beneficiaries who would have difficulty in registration,” Sharma said.
The process will be easy. Through your smartphones, you can log on to the website Cowin.Gov.in or use Arogya Setu or any other application such as a common service app. What you need to do is just register in with your mobile number and you’ll get an OTP. Your account will be created and thereafter you can put your name, age, gender, and an identity document that you will need to bring to the center. You can add as many of four family members get registered on the account, Sharma said. “The idea is that if only one family member has a mobile then others can also come through that and get vaccinated” he added.
60 plus will be registered automatically and for those between the age of 45 and 60, Co-Win 2.0 will ask for comorbidities clarification. You’ll have to say yes and will have to provide a certificate (signed by a doctor) for the same. Once you have booked an appointment, you’ll have to carry the same document (for eg. driving license) that you provided while self-registration to the center.
You will also have the option of choosing between a government or a private center. At the government, hospital vaccination will be free of cost and at a private hospital, you will have to pay the price decided by the government. If you are not able to register anywhere, you can still walk-in to your nearest centre and if there’s a vacancy, you’ll get vaccinated.
In fact, hospitals would be able to decide, if they have a capacity of 100 vaccines. Sharma also clarified that both Covaxin or Covishield vaccines have equal efficacy and have been approved by the Government. There is no reason for people to choose.
However, if vaccine A has been administered, then the second dose will also be the same. That is something that Co-Win will very closely monitor. Even if you go to a different hospital for a second dose, you will get the same vaccination you got the first time, Sharma summed.
