CoWIN now allows on-site registration for COVID-19 vaccine for 18-44 age group

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has announced that on-site registration and appointment for the vaccine inoculation of the 18-44 years age group is now live on the CoWIN. However, as of now, the feature is only being activated for Government Covid Vaccination Centers (CVCs). People will have to book appointments in advance to get vaccinated at private CVCs.

This also means that private CVCs will have to publish their vaccination schedules exclusively with slots for online appointments.

“This feature will be used only upon the decision of the respective state/UT Government to do so. State/UT must decide on the opening of on-site registrations/facilitated cohorts’ registration and appointments for 18-44 years age group based on the local context just as an additional measure to minimize vaccine wastage and for facilitating vaccination of eligible beneficiaries in the age group 18-44 years,” the ministry said in a statement.

Apart from this, the Union Health Ministry has advised states and union territories to issue instructions to all District Immunization Officers to strictly adhere to the decisions of respective states and union territories government regarding the extent and manner of using the on-site registration and appointment feature for 18 to 44 years age group.

Authorities can decide to organise fully reserved sessions for vaccinations to the beneficiaries belonging to facilitated cohorts. However, these sessions need to be made to mobilize such beneficiaries in sufficient numbers.

The Ministry has advised all states and union territories to take caution and extreme care while opening up on-site registration and appointment for the 18-44 years age group, to avoid overcrowding at vaccination centres. Till now the online appointment mode helped vaccination centres avoid overcrowding.

The reason behind opening on-site registrations is to reduce vaccine wastage, as some doses may still be left unutilized due to online appointee beneficiaries not turning up on the due date.

“Even though CoWIN provides for features such as registration of up to 4 beneficiaries with a mobile number, facilitated registration and appointments through applications, such as Arogya Setu and Umang and through the Common Service Centres etc., people requiring facilitated cohort’s facility and those without access to the internet or smartphones or mobile phones may still have limited access for vaccination,” stated the release.