The government of India came up with the idea to make the vaccines for COVID-19 available and accessible to all. This was done with the help of an online digital platform – Cowin. COVID Vaccine Intelligence Work (CoWIN) was launched on 16th January 2021 and was used by millions in the country who wanted to get access to healthcare and stay one step ahead of the virus.
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, associated with the government of India, which is responsible for the maintenance, operation, and upgradation of the app. Several possible ways can be used, such as self-registration on Cowin or Aarogya Setu (which supports Cowin).
What you need to know about Cowin
If you are looking into the Cowin application registration, you may want to gather all the information available about the platform. Apart from a mobile phone with an internet connection, you will not need anything else to bask in the benefits of this portal as you aim to secure proper healthcare facilities and professional help. Here are some important points that you can keep in mind regarding the portal:
- All citizens of India above the age of 12 years can register on the platform. Since the vaccines are now available even for children, they can register themselves to book an appointment for their first and second doses.
- Using one mobile number, up to 6 people can register for vaccination. This means that you can secure the safety of yourself and your family members with a single registration. You can also extend your support to people who do not have access to smartphones or internet connections or those who may not be very tech-savvy. House helps, drivers, labourers, etc might be able to benefit from your registration.
- The documents that can be used to register on Cowin would be for 18 years and above– Aadhar Card, Driving License, Passport, Voter ID, Ration Card, Unique Disability Identification Card, PAN card, etc. For 12 years and above, you can use your Aadhar Card, PAN card, Passport, Student Photo ID card, Ration card, etc.
- You will not have to pay any registration fees and will not be required to register again before your 2nd Use the same beneficiary account to get both doses of the same vaccine after the set time interval. For the maintenance of proper records, it is recommended that a beneficiary registers only once with an active mobile number.
- Cowin will also give you benefits such as linking to the ABHA card. These will provide you with a holistic healthcare treatment opportunity.
Steps to register on the platform
Step 1 – Log into the website with your phone number and click on the ‘register/sign in’ tab. Enter your mobile number, and you will receive an OTP via text message. Enter the OTP within 180 seconds and click ‘verify’
Step 2 – Once the OTP is validated, you can click on the ‘register for vaccination’ tab. You can also add the members of your family who wish to register. Provide all the valid and required information – name, gender, year of birth, photo ID proof, photo ID number, etc. Select the particular photo ID that you wish to use.
Step 3 – Once these details are filled in, you can click on ‘register’ on the bottom right of the page. You will receive a confirmation message once successful registration is complete.
Step 4 – Go to the dashboard, and you can add more people (up to 6) as beneficiaries. This can be done by clicking on the ‘add more’ button. The details of each individual would have to be filled in, and you will receive confirmation messages for all the successful registrations for each member. You can also choose to delete the information of people if needed.
Step 5 – After completing the process of registration, you can then proceed to book your vaccination appointment. Go to the ‘account details’ page and click on ‘schedule’ to book an appointment for yourself or any of the registered members.
Select a vaccination centre of your choosing by using the district or pin code. You can choose the type of vaccine, date, age category, etc. Book your appointment and confirm the final details of the slot. Verify the name, date, and vaccine centre, and click ‘confirm’. Download the vaccine appointment confirmation.
Cowin had made lives more manageable and healthcare more accessible to persons in every sphere of the country. Reap the benefits upon registration as India moves towards a more digitised form of healthcare.
