Seeking to get vaccinated for Covid-19, you will have to share a four-digit code at the vaccination centre before the jab.
The additional step has been added by the government to reduce data entry errors about vaccination status after several people complained about getting a message of receiving the jab even after failing to turn up at the centre.
“In order to minimize such errors and the subsequent inconvenience caused to the citizens, the CoWIN system is introducing a new feature of four-digit security code in the CoWIN application from May 8,” the health ministry said in a statement.
“Now, after verification, if the beneficiary is been found eligible, before administering the vaccine dose, the verifier/vaccinator will ask the beneficiary about his four-digit code and then enter the same in the CoWIN system to correctly record the vaccination status,” it added.
This new feature will be applicable only to citizens who have done an online booking for a vaccination slot.
The four-digit security code will be printed in the appointment acknowledgement slip and also in the confirmation SMS sent to the beneficiary after successful booking of an appointment.
This will also reduce the opportunities for impersonation and wrongful use of flexibilities provided in CoWIN for facilitating vaccination coverage.
The ministry advised the citizens must carry a digital or physical copy of their appointment slip and the registered mobile phone with appointment confirmation SMS, so that the security code can be furnished for easy completion of vaccination recording process.