CoWIN App to Now Allow On-site Registrations for Citizens Below 45 Years, But Only On These Conditions

CoWIN app will now allow on-site registration or facilitated cohort registration in addition to Online Appointments for 18 to 44 years age group. This move has been announced by the Government of India after several citizens complained about not being able to book appointments online on the CoWIN portal. A graded, pre-emptive and pro-active approach has allowed for the exercise to be modified to suit present circumstances in wide consultation with all stakeholders,” said the Indian Government.

“With launch of phase II of the National Vaccination Drive on 1 March 2021, facility for only online registration and appointment of citizens aged 45 years or more were offered on CoWIN digital platform. The feature for on-site registration and appointment was introduced later for these priority groups. Subsequently, the coverage of vaccination was expanded to people in the age group of 18 to 44 years on 1 May 2021 with the implementation of the liberalised pricing and accelerated national COVID-19 vaccination strategy. The facility of only online appointment mode initially to people in the age group of 18 to 44 years helped to avoid overcrowding at the vaccination centres,” added the government.

Along the same lines, the Union Government has now decided to provide the facility of on-site registration or facilitated cohort registration on CoWIN digital platform for the below 45 years age group based on the various representations given by the States and inputs received by Union Health Ministry.

Why Did Indian Government Decide to Allow On-site Registrations on CoWIN App

• Some doses may still be left unutilized in case online appointments get cancelled or beneficiaries do not turn up on day of vaccination due to any reason. In such cases, on-site registration of a few beneficiaries may be necessary to minimize the vaccine wastage.
• Those without access to internet or smart phones or mobile phones have not been able to book appointments online.

Conditions for On-site Registrations on CoWIN App

• This feature is being enabled only for Government COVID Vaccination Centers (CVCs) for the time being, and private CVCs will have to publish their vaccination schedules exclusively with slots for online appointments.
• This feature will be used only upon decision of the respective State or Union Territories, who must decide on opening of on-site registrations or facilitated cohorts’ registration and appointments for 18 to 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.
• Fully reserved sessions can also be organized for providing vaccination services to the beneficiaries belonging to facilitated cohorts. Wherever such fully reserved sessions are organized, all efforts must also be made to mobilize such beneficiaries in sufficient numbers.
• Caution should be exercised by States and Union Territories and extreme due care should be taken while opening up of on-site registration and appointment for 18-44 years age group, in order to avoid overcrowding at vaccination centres, the Indian Government has said.