Registration for COVID-19 vaccination for adults over the age of 18 will be open from 4 pm on April 28. Adults over the age of 18 can get COVID-19 vaccines from May 1. Registration can be done through the Co-WIN portal, the Aarogya Setu app or the Umang portal.
Currently, frontline and healthcare workers and those over the age of 45 are eligible to be vaccinated. Serum Institute of India's Covishield and Bharat Biotech's Covaxin are the two vaccines currently being provided with Russia's Sputnik vaccine applying for approval through Dr Reddy's.
The Union Government is providing free vaccines to everyone over 45 and frontline and healthcare workers. However, those between 18 and 45 will have to pay to get vaccinated.
The state governments of Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Sikkim and Uttar Pradesh have announced free of cost vaccination for those above 18.
Here's how you can register yourself to get the COVID-19 vaccine via the Co-WIN portal, Aarogya Setu app and the Umang portal.
Co-WIN
On the Co-WIN portal, click on the Register/Sign In yourself option and enter your mobile number and click on the get OTP (One Time Password) option. Click the verify button after entering the OTP which is sent to your phone.
In the next page, you will be asked to register by providing details of a photo ID. You can provide your Aadhar card, Driving License, PAN card, Passport, Pension Passbook, NPR Smart Card or Voter ID. You will also be asked to provide your year of birth and gender. You can add four beneficiaries on one mobile number.
After clicking on register, the beneficiary would have successfully registered and given an option to schedule their appointment.
You schedule an appointment by either entering your pin code or your state and district.
The next window will show the eligible hospitals and slots for a week.
After choosing a slot, you will get a confirmation message on your mobile.
On the vaccination day, remember to carry original photo ID card you provided to register for the vaccine.
Aarogya Setu
On the Aarogya Setu app, go to the CoWin tab and click on Vaccination.
You will be asked to register by providing your phone number and entering an OTP, which will be sent to the given number.
After that, you will be asked to provide your name, gender, year of birth as well as a photo ID card. You can provide your Aadhar card, Driving License, PAN card, Passport, Pension Passbook, NPR Smart Card or Voter ID.
After registering, you can schedule an appointment by providing your pincode as well the date you prefer to be vaccinated. The Aarogya Setu app further provides you the option of getting a free vaccine or a paid one.
Next, a drop down menu will be shown from which you can select a vaccination centre. After choosing one, you will be shown the available slots and timings for the particular date.
After choosing a slot, you will get a confirmation message on your mobile.
On the day of the vaccination, remember to carry original photo ID card you provided to register for the vaccine.
Umang portal
After logging into your profile on the Umang app or portal, choose the health option in the categories section.
The next window will have all the available government health services you can access. Choose the Co-WIN option.
Like with the Co-WIN portal and Aarogya Setu app, you will be asked to register by providing your name, gender, year of birth as well as a photo ID card. You can provide your Aadhar card, Driving License, PAN card, Passport, Pension Passbook, NPR Smart Card or Voter ID.
Next, you will be asked to select a vaccination centre either by providing your pin code or your state and district. You will also have to select a date.
Umang also provides you with the option of choosing which vaccine to take. However, when we tried this option, the app gave us an error message. Since this is not a mandatory field, you have the option not to make a choice.
Next, you will be shown the available centres and the slots and timings. Confirm your choice.
After choosing a slot, you will get a confirmation message on your mobile.
On the day of the vaccination, remember to carry original photo ID card you provided to register for the vaccine.
If for some reason you are not able to register or the above tools are facing a technical glitch, you have the option to walk-in at the nearby centre and get vaccinated. However, you may be at a disadvantage if the particular centre decides to prioritise those with appointments to prevent crowds. Registration is recommended though not mandatory.
Once you receive the vaccination, kindly ensure you have received an SMS detailing the completion of the dose. If you do not receive the message, raise it with the officials before you exit the vaccination centre. This is important as the vaccination certificate will be a valid document in the future. You can also download the vaccine certificate by signing into your account on the Co-WIN portal.