Here's how you can register for Covid-19 vaccine on Co-WIN 2.0 portal

Appointments for any date for a Covid Vaccination Center will be closed at 3 pm on that day for which the slots were opened

As India begins the next phase of the Covid-19 vaccination drive today, registration on the Co-WIN 2.0 portal is set to open at 9 am. In this phase, people above 60 years and those aged 45 and above with comorbidities will be prioritised.

On February 26, 2021, the Union Health Ministry disclosed that those willing to take the Covid-19 vaccine would have to follow one of the three routes to get the jab — one being the Co-WIN 2.0 app where beneficiaries will be able to self-register in advance.

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Here is how to register for Covid-19 vaccine on the Co-WIN 2.0 portal:

1. Citizens will be able to register and book an appointment for vaccination, anytime and anywhere, using the Co-WIN 2.0 portal or through other IT applications such as Arogya Setu. Registration will open at 9 am on March 1 at www.cowin.gov.in.

Also read: Register for vaccine on Co-WIN portal, not app, clarifies Health Ministry as mass rollout begins

2. Citizens above 60 years are eligible for the vaccine while those between 45-59 years will have to produce a certificate from a registered doctor if they have any of the specified 20 comorbidities. The cut-off date for calculating the age is January 1, 2021.

3. Appointments for any date for a Covid vaccination centre will be closed at 3 pm on that day for which the slots were opened. For example, for March 1 the slots will be open from 9 am till 3 pm and the appointments can be booked anytime before that.

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4. However, on March 1, an appointment can also be booked for any future date for which vaccination slots are available.

5. A slot for the second dose will also be booked at the same Covid vaccination centre on the 29th day of the date of appointment of the 1st dose. If a beneficiary cancels a first dose appointment, then the appointment of both doses will be cancelled.

6. The eligible persons will be able to register at the Co-WIN 2.0 portal through their mobile number, through a step by step process. With one mobile number, a person can register as many as four beneficiaries. However, all those registered on one mobile number will have nothing in common except for the mobile number.

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7. The photo ID card number for each such beneficiary must be different. Either of the following photo identity documents can be used by citizens for availing of online registration — Aadhaar Card/Letter, Electoral Photo Identity Card (EPIC), passport, driving license, PAN Card, NPR Smart Card or Pension Document with a photograph.

8. The healthcare and frontline workers who had missed out on their vaccination schedule can also get the shots if they produce a letter from their employer or an ID card as proof of their profession.

9. All beneficiaries would be captured on Co-WIN 2.0 platform and issued a digital QR Code based provisional (on receiving the first dose) and final (on receiving the second dose) certificates.

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10. The vaccination certificates can be downloaded from the link shown in the SMS the beneficiary shall receive after the vaccination. Print outs of these certificates can also be taken from the vaccination centres.

What are specified co-morbidities for the age group of 45-59 years?

The ministry specified 20 co-morbidities within the 45-59 years age group including heart failure with hospital admission in past one year, moderate or severe valvular heart disease, coronary artery disease, CT/ MRI documented stroke, diabetes ( >10 years or with complications) and hypertension on treatment, end-stage kidney disease on haemodialysis, diagnosis of any solid cancer on or after 2000 or currently on any cancer therapy for which one will have to submit a medical certificate.

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How much will the vaccines cost?

All vaccines provided to beneficiaries at the government health facilities will be entirely free of cost, while private facilities cannot charge the beneficiary a sum above Rs 250 per person per dose (Rs 150 for vaccines and Rs 100 as operational charges).

Private hospitals will have to remit the cost of vaccine doses allotted to them in a designated account of the National Health Authority (NHA). The payment gateway for the same is being enabled by the NHA on their website.

What are the other options?

Those who cannot self-register in advance, have the option to register on-site, allowing them to walk into the identified CVC and get vaccinated.

A user guide for the citizen registration and appointment for vaccination has also been uploaded on the websites of the Union Ministry of Health and National Health Authority (NHA).

(With PTI inputs)