India began its vaccination drive against Covid-19 on January 16. However, for the first time, the general public will be eligible for the vaccine in the second phase that began on March 1. People above age 60 and those above 45 with comorbidities are eligible for vaccination in this phase.
On day one, 25 lakh potential beneficiaries registered on the Co-win portal and will be vaccinated in the next few days.
What’s different?
Just like phase 1, the vaccine type will not be disclosed to the beneficiary at the time of appointment. Those eligible can self-register themselves and three others using the same mobile number. Slots will be open from 9 am till 3 pm, and appointments can be booked any time before 3 pm subject to availability.
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One can select the vaccination centre, date, and time in any state.
Also, the applicant can edit or delete all records of registration and appointment until the time of vaccination. Only when a person gets vaccinated is the record locked and cannot be edited.
What is the process for self-registration?
The applicant will be required to log in to cowin.gov.in and enter a mobile number; a one-time password is sent to the number. Once the OTP is generated, the beneficiary has to enter four details – The photo ID (for instance the Aadhaar number if that is the ID); age and gender; and whether the beneficiary is suffering from any pre-existing co-morbidity.
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Once all the details are filled in, the applicant will be asked to register. Once that is done, the beneficiary will receive a message and will be given an option to register up to three more persons. The applicant will have the option to delete a beneficiary before booking an appointment.
What is the process for an appointment?
You will have to click ‘Schedule Appointment’, and the website will direct you to book an appointment for vaccination’.
In the next step, the beneficiaries will have to select the state, district, block, and pin code from a dropdown. After this is done, the system will display a list of vaccination centres.
Once the beneficiary selects the vaccination centre from these options, the system will display the dates and the number of slots available on a specific day, with an additional option to check the next week’s slots.
You will then have to click on ‘Book’, the site will direct you to an ‘Appointment Confirmation’. In the final step, you will have to click ‘Confirm’ after verifying the details; once confirmed, the confirmation page will declare ‘Appointment Successful’.
What identity documents can be used?
You can use your Aadhaar card, electoral photo identity card, passport, driving licence, PAN card, NPR smart card, or pension document with photographs. Those above age 45 and with comorbidities will also have to bring the co-morbidity certificate signed by a registered medical practitioner.
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Can a beneficiary walk in without registration on Co-win?
Yes. Each state has a specific number of mobilisation slots. Certain vaccination centres will have a walk-in-facility: On-site registration, appointment, verification, and vaccination will all be on-site the same day. For this, there will be no need for pre-registering beneficiaries online.
What is the process for the second dose?
After the first dose, the beneficiary will be automatically given a scheduled appointment for the second dose at the same centre. However, if the beneficiary has moved to another city, the appointment can be rescheduled at the nearest vaccination centre in that city.
