The Union Health Ministry on Monday enabled on-site registration and appointment for the 18-44 years age group on the CoWin platform for Covid-19 vaccination given that the respective states and UT governments agree to the decision.
How does on-site registration work?
In the case of sessions that are exclusively organised with online slots, some doses are left unutilised when online appointee beneficiaries do not turn up on the day of vaccination. In such cases, on-site registration of a few beneficiaries may be necessary to minimise the vaccine wastage, the health ministry said.
What about fully reserved sessions?
The ministry has clarified that fully reserved sessions can also be organised by state governments for providing vaccination services to beneficiaries who do not access to smartphones or internet and are unable to register themselves on the portal. However, it said, all efforts must also be made to mobilise such beneficiaries in sufficient numbers.
Will the service be available at private centres?
No, on-site registration will not be available for private CVCs as they will have to continue to publish their vaccination schedules exclusively with slots for online appointments. However, this feature has been enabled for government Covid Vaccination Centers (CVCs).
Which documents are required?
The ministry had earlier stated that all beneficiaries, regardless of the mode of access, will have to carry any one of the following photo ID document — Aadhar Card, Electoral Photo Identity Card (EPIC), Photo ID card.
The coverage of vaccination was expanded to people in the age group of 18 to 44 years on May 1 with the implementation of the Liberalised Pricing and Accelerated National Covid-19 Vaccination Strategy.