New Delhi: The Central government on Monday instructed all states and Union Territories (UTs) to include the Unique Disability Identification (UDID) card in the list of prescribed identity documents for Covid-19 vaccination.
This decision has been taken to ease the process of vaccination for persons with disabilities.
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Union Health Ministry, in a letter, has directed states and the Union Territories to include the UDID card as a photo ID while registering on the CoWIN 2.0.
In its letter, the Union Health Ministry informed that the UDID card, issued to persons with disability by the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, has all the necessary features such as the name, year of birth, gender and photograph of the person, and meets the criteria for use of identification in Covid-19 vaccination.
"The necessary provisions for same are being made and would be available in CoWIN shortly," it stated.
The Health Ministry has also asked the states and the UTs to widely publicise the use of a UDID card as a permissible photo ID for getting Covid vaccination.
As per the guidelines given for CoWIN 2.0 issued on March 2, 7 photo IDs were specified and prescribed for the verification of beneficiaries before their vaccination against coronavirus.
With this decision, the Central government aims to make the Covid-19 vaccination drive more effective as the second wave subsides and states prepare to tackle a possible third wave.
The CoWIN digital platform developed by the union government is built to streamline the process of vaccination for various categories of beneficiaries across the country. It is the technological backbone behind the Covid vaccination and distribution system.