JOIN USCoWIN app: How to register for Covid-19 vaccine in India
Indian drug regulators approved vaccines by Bharat Biotech and Serum Institute of India for restricted use on Sunday. To facilitate a smooth implementation of its ambitious inoculation campaign, the Centre has developed the digital platform CoWIN.
CoWIN, which stands for Covid Vaccine Intelligence Network, is an extension of the government’s eVIN network and has been launched solely for the upcoming Covid-19 vaccination drive to track and monitor beneficiaries across the country. Registration on the app is mandatory to receive a vaccine.
On December 23, IT Minister Ravi Shankar had posed a challenge to strengthen this network in time for the rollout of the vaccine and even announced a cash prize of Rs 40 lakh and Rs 20 lakh for the top contestants.
Here is what you need to know about the app and how to register.
Availability
Don’t scan Google Play Store or Apple Store for it yet, because the app has not been released. If there are any other apps with the same name, do not download them or provide them with any personal data.
The CoWIN app is still in the pre-product stage, and over 75 lakh health officials, those who are part of the top priority group to get vaccinated, have already been registered on it.
How to register
Since the app is in the pre-product phase, common citizens cannot register yet. But once it is available to download for the common public, it will have four modules — User administrator module, beneficiary registration, vaccination and beneficiary acknowledgement, and status updation.
When the app starts running, there will be three options to register: self-registration, individual registration and bulk registrations. It is not yet clear how these will be implemented.
What documents do you need?
To register on the app, you will need photo identification. The documents that work include Aadhaar card, Driving License and PAN card among others.
Health Minister Harsh Vardhan has announced that the Covid-19 vaccine will be free for all frontline workers. How much it will cost the general public is yet to be revealed.