The Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare has informed citizens about the CoWin app, through which users will be able to register themselves for the COVID-19 vaccination. There will be no on-the-spot registration for the COVID-19 vaccination, and only names enlisted on the CoWin app will be allowed to receive the vaccination at respective Government centers.
What is CoWin?
The Covid Vaccine Intelligence Network (CoWIN) is an application which will be used by both vaccinators and beneficiaries for proper management of the vaccination process. The mobile app will be available to download for free via the Google Play Store and Apple App Store. The app may also launch on Jio phones that run on KaiOS.
It has five modules—administrator module, registration module, vaccination module, beneficiary acknowledgment module, and report module.
When to download?
Currently, the app can only be accessed by healthcare workers. CoWIN app is expected to be available to the general public in the form of an online website as well as a mobile application very soon.
The Union Health Ministry has asked the citizens to beware of fake CoWin app download options from even trusted platforms like PlayStore or App Store. The Ministry also added that the government’s Co-WIN app is still under development and will be adequately publicized on its launch. The officials have also asked citizens to beware of scam calls asking people for Aadhaar number or bank account details under the pretence of getting them registered on the CoWin app.
What is the process followed?
Once the application is available to the general public, it will provide three options for registration to the beneficiaries – self-registration, individual registration (an official would help by uploading data) and bulk upload. The process followed will be as follows:
- Admins, through the ‘Administrator Module’, will be able to track the information provided by citizens. It will upload bulk data on co-morbidity provided by local authorities or surveyors. As explained by the government, the admins will also be responsible for creating sessions, and the respective vaccinators and managers will receive relevant notifications and alerts.
- People will need to upload a photo identity in order to register, like the Aadhar Card, Driving License, PAN Card, or others. The ‘Vaccination Module’ takes care of this and also updates the vaccination status.
- The ‘Beneficiary Acknowledgement Module’ will send text messages in 12 languages to guide those waiting to get vaccinated and health workers engaged in inoculation. A QR code-based vaccination certificate, which can be stored in the phone, will be issued after all the doses are given.
- Reports will be prepared by the ‘Report Module’ on how many vaccine sessions have been conducted, how many people have attended those, how many people have dropped out etc.
Prime Minister Modi stated that the app will ensure that people get the second dosage of the vaccine on time. “It will generate a certificate after the first dosage of vaccine and the final certificate will be issued after the second dosage,” he said.
