India's mass COVID-19 vaccination drive started with over 25 lakh people registering on the Co-WIN 2.0 portal on Monday. But only 1,28,630 beneficiaries above the age of 60 and 18,850 above the age of 45, living with co-morbidities received vaccination. BOOM takes you through the process of registration on the Co-WIN portal
Initially, citizens struggled to register through the mobile application but post the government's clarification, the website was flocked with citizens registering on the application.
Although permitting registration, there are not enough slots available for carrying out the vaccine process. Several people faced issues while even registering on the portal. While some did not receive the OTP for registration, several others found that the hospital in their vicinity were either unaware about the whole procedure or had not received vaccines.
Till the vaccination slots increase, it is imperative that the citizens get themselves registered at the Co-Win portal (https://www.cowin.gov.in/home). The website first explains the function of the portal and the steps forward to register oneself.
On scrolling down, there is a window asking a person to find the nearest vaccination centre and to register themselves on the portal.
On clicking the register yourself link, the person is expected to fill a mobile number which will receive a one-time password for registration. This one-time password will permit this particular mobile number to register four people who are eligible to receive the vaccine.
Once registered, the next window will ask for a Photo ID proof. The documents that a person can show for proof are their Aadhar card, Driving License, PAN card, Passport, Pension Passbook, NPR Smart Card, or Voter ID.
After entering the details of the same, the person will have to add the number, their gender and the year of birth as visible on the Photo ID. It is mandatory that the beneficiary carries the Photo ID mentioned in the registration form to the vaccination site for verification.
If the beneficiary is between the ages of 45-59 as of January 1, 2022, the website will further flash a question asking if they have any of the 20 designated co-morbidities. The beneficiary is expected to carry a certificate signed by a registered medical practitioner that states they are suffering from any of the listed co-morbidities. The list includes people with kidney diseases, heart issues, diabetes, people living with disabilities, among others.
After clicking on register, the beneficiary would have successfully registered and given an option to schedule their appointment.
On clicking the first button under the action tab, which is next to the dust bin, the person can schedule an appointment by entering the state, block, district, and pin code after which the window will show the eligible hospitals and slots.
We, however, could not find a slot for the registered person for the month of March in four different area pin codes.
At government centres, the vaccination is available for free while at the private centres, the beneficiary is expected to pay a nominal fee of ₹250 for each dose.
After scheduling an appointment, the beneficiary can reschedule it on previous days but not on the appointed day. At the center, the beneficiary is expected to show their photo ID proof, and the certificate of eligibility. Once vaccinated, the beneficiary will receive a provisional certificate suggesting that they have received the first shot. They will get a link to this provisional certificate along with the date for receiving the next shot.
If in any case, the beneficiary is expected to be in a different city on the day of vaccination, they can choose a different vaccination center through the portal. The software will show them vaccination centers administering the same vaccine (covishield/ covaxin) that they had received the first shot of. On receiving the second shot, the beneficiary will get a vaccinated certificate.