CoWin App for COVID-19 Vaccine Registration: Bengaluru Doctor Shares Personal Vaccination Experience

CoWin app, the official platform for COVID-19 vaccine registration in India, is yet to be made available to all citizens of the country. While a few glitches were reported with the platform initially, the CoWin app seems to be working efficiently as of now. Dr Srinivasa, a physician from Bengaluru who recently received the COVID-19 vaccination in the first phase, says that the entire process was extremely hassle-free and well-executed.

“I’m entirely happy with the way the Government of India is planning and executing the process. It has been done in a very seamless manner. I’ve received my first dose of the vaccination, and will be called for the second dose next month,” said Dr Srinivasa to Dataquest. The doctor was amongst the 7.5 million beneficiaries who were registered in the early stages on the CoWin software to receive the vaccination.

How to Register on the CoWin App?

“Firstly, let me tell you that there is no CoWin App as of now. All details have been entered in the CoWin software, which is being operated by the Government. There is no self-registration option,” said the doctor who received a call from a health centre that was nearest to his place of work to get him registered on the CoWin platform. “They asked for my details, and also about the staff who were working with me,” he said.

He was then sent a form from an official e-mail ID that asked for basic information such as his name, photo ID details, name of the facility he worked at, whether it was a private or government facility and so on. “I was so worried if it was a prank call, that I even got the phone number and email address of the officials verified,” he added. After affirming that the call was indeed made by Government officials, the doctor submitted the required details.

How the CoWin Software Informs Beneficiaries about the Day and Date of the Vaccination

The CoWin software sends a message to the beneficiary’s registered mobile number and also provides a location link to the health centre where the vaccination would be delivered. “After almost a month of submitting my details, I received a message from CoWin to visit the designated health centre between 9:00 am and 5:00 pm and was asked to bring along the photo ID card, the details of which I had provided in the form,” stated the doctor. The message also had a helpline number where he could contact in case he required more clarity.

The Vaccination Experience

Dr Srinivasa is of the opinion that all the fears regarding the side-effects of the vaccination are unfounded. “I’m diabetic, and also on blood thinners. Furthermore, I’m 72 years old. It has now been a week since I took the vaccination, and I’m completely fine. I did not experience any pain or side-effects. In fact, they asked me to stay in the health centre for half an hour to keep me under observation, after which I went about with my schedule,” said the doctor. “It was a very simple process, and the staff is ready to answer any queries the beneficiaries may have.”

Word of Caution

Viewers are advised to take care and always double-check and verify before providing their details to any official claiming to be from the Government of India as there are scams being reported wherein citizens have been duped into sharing credit or debit card details under the guise of getting them registered for the vaccination programme. It would be prudent for viewers to cross-check with their nearest health centre if they happen to receive any such call.