The digital platform that the government of India has launched to help its citizens apply and register for their COVID-19 vaccinations was a boon nationwide. It led to the commencement of the largest vaccination drives across the globe. The digital platform was created on January 16, 2021, and it is operated and maintained by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare under the purview of the GoI. The aim was to ensure that most willing people in India were secure in terms of their health by taking both doses of their vaccines. Since its inception, the website has been able to reach its target and people registered themselves and their family members for the same.
Registering on the application – The Cowin portal is user-friendly and you can easily register on the same by following a few simple steps. The reason why this process was made to be completely online, free of cost, and without the need to provide any physical documents was to ensure that most people in India, irrespective of any constraints, could access this website and get themselves and their families vaccinated.
- Step 1 – If you are eligible to register, you can visit the official website and then click on the register/sign-in button
- Step 2 – Enter a valid mobile number and then click on the icon ‘get OTP’
- Step 3 – You should receive an OTP on your phone via text message. Make sure to enter that code within 180 seconds and then click ‘verify’
- Step 4 – You will be asked to enter other details like your full name, details of a photo ID proof, your age, gender, etc. Once you fill out the relevant information, you can click on ‘register’ at the bottom right.
- Step 5 – The process will be complete when you receive a message upon successful registration.
In case you want to register other members of your family, house helpers, laborers, drivers, etc on your number to help them with their vaccine slots, you can do so on your number and account. You can add 3 more people linked to the same mobile number by clicking on ‘add more’ in the account details section. All the relevant information regarding their details will also need to be added for successful registration. You can also delete any beneficiary linked to your number if needed.
Registering for the vaccine – After you have registered on the platform, you can easily schedule an appointment. A vaccination center depending on the type of vaccine, paid or unpaid, your location, and the overall availability of the slots will be assigned to you.
- Step 1 – Visit the ‘account details’ page to schedule an appointment and click on ‘schedule’
- Step 2 – You will land on the page ‘book appointment for vaccination’
- Step 3 – Search the vaccination center of your choice by entering your district/area or pin code. Once you click on a center, you will be able to view the available slots regarding the dates and capacity. You can then select the slot and center of your choice
- Step 4 – Click on ‘book’ and you will be directed to the appointment confirmation page. Read all the details carefully before clicking ‘confirm’
- Step 5 – The ‘appointment confirmation’ message will then be sent to your mobile phone and the details of the venue, due date, place, and time of the vaccination will be written.
The documents required for registering on the app would be – an Aadhar card, driving license, certificate of comorbidity, passport, voter ID, etc. You may not need all the documents, just a photo ID should be enough at the time of the vaccination.
Once you visit the vaccination center and get your dose (first and then the second), you will be able to download the Cowin certificate. You can also download this certificate on your phone and use it as and when necessary. You will receive a partial certificate upon the completion of the first dose with the due date of the next dose written on it. Once both doses are complete, you will be able to download a consolidated version of the vaccination certificate. If you choose to take the booster dose once you are eligible, the final certificate can be downloaded into your mobile phones using the official website, Aarogya Setu app, or any other place where you have completed your registration.
The umpteen benefits of the portal have led to the full vaccination of more than 90% of the population of India.
