Corona Vaccination Registrations: Government Opens On-Site Registration For 18-44 Age Group

The facility will not be currently available for private Covid vaccine centers, and private CVCs will have to publish their immunization program with slots specifically for online appointments.

Representational Image (Source: PTI)

New Delhi: On Monday, the Union Health Ministry has now opened on-site registration/facilitated cohort registration on CoWIN digital platform for the 18-44 years age group but it will be provided for Government COVID Vaccination Centers (CVCs).

The move has been made to minimise vaccine wastage and provide vaccination to those with limited access to mobile phones and internet.

According to the release certain points have been laid for the same: 

• In the case of sessions exclusively organized with online slots, towards the end of the day, some doses may still be left unutilized in case the online appointee beneficiaries do not turn up on the day of vaccination due to any reason. In such cases, on-site registration of a few beneficiaries may be necessary to minimise vaccine wastage.
• Even though CoWIN provides for features such as registration of up to 4 beneficiaries with a mobile number, facilitated registration and appointments through applications, such as ArogyaSetu and Umang and through the Common Service Centres etc., people requiring facilitated cohort’s facility and those without access to the internet or smartphones or mobile phones may still have limited access for vaccination.

The facility will not be currently available for private Covid vaccine centers, and private CVCs will have to publish their immunization program with slots specifically for online appointments.

“This feature will be used only upon decision of the respective State/UT Government to do so. State/UT must decide on opening of on-site registrations/facilitated cohorts’ registration and appointments for 18-44 years age group based on the local context just as an additional measure to minimise vaccine wastage and for facilitating vaccination of eligible beneficiaries in the age group 18-44 years,” the release added.

As per the release, fully reserved sessions can also be organized for providing vaccination services to the beneficiaries belonging to facilitated cohorts. Wherever such fully reserved sessions are organised, all efforts must also be made to mobilize such beneficiaries in sufficient numbers.

The Union Health Ministry has also advised that States/UTs to exercise caution and extreme care while opening up on-site registration and appointment for 18-44 years age group, in order to avoid overcrowding at vaccination centres.