Amid reports of glitches and some people saying they were finding it difficult to navigate the Co-WIN 2.0 app to register and book an appointment, the Union Health Ministry on Monday clarified that the Co-WIN app is meant for use only by administrators.
It added that registration and booking for an appointment for COVID-19 vaccination has to be done through the portal www.cowin.gov.in.
Taking to Twitter, the Union Health Ministry wrote: "Registration and booking for appointment for #COVID19 vaccination is to be done through #CoWIN Portal: www.cowin.gov.in. There is no #CoWIN App for beneficiary registration. The App on Play Store is for administrators only."
Meanwhile, dispelling the rumours of a glitch in the Co-WIN platform, created to track delivery, utilisation, and distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine in real time, Empowered Group chairman RS Sharma on Monday said the confusion had been created due to the spread of misinformation that vaccination registration is being done through a mobile application.
There were rumours that people who want to book an appointment for COVID-19 vaccination should register on the Co-WIN app instead of Co-WIN website.
The national health authority CEO clarified that the registration for the vaccine is taking place only through the Aarogya Setu app and Co-WIN's portal cowin.gov.in.
Speaking to ANI, Sharma said, "There has been no glitch right from the start. What happened was that some people spread the misinformation that there is a Co-WIN app. So people started searching for the app, which is not ours. That is why there was some confusion among the people. After clarifying that there is no Co-WIN app, we have given an extension in the Aarogya Setu app for registration and provided a portal cowin.gov.in."
On Monday, thousands of people queued up at government and private medical facilities across the country as India further opened up the world's largest vaccination programme that started on January 16 for healthcare and sanitation workers.
Here is how you can register for the COVID-19 vaccine:
Citizens can register and book an appointment for vaccination, anytime and anywhere, using the Co-WIN 2.0 portal www.cowin.gov.in or through the Aarogya Setu app. There is also a walk-in provision for the beneficiaries to get themselves registered at the nearby session site for vaccination, the Union Health Ministry said.
Here is how you can register for the COVID-19 vaccine:
Step 1: Open www.cowin.gov.in
Step 2: Enter a valid mobile number. Click on the 'Get OTP' button.
Step 3: The OTP will arrive via an SMS.
Step 4: Enter the OTP and click the 'Verify' button.
Step 5: Once the OTP is validated, the 'Registration of Vaccination' page will appear.
Step 6: Enter the required details on this page. Users need to add their photo ID proof, ID number, and other details—Aadhaar, election card, passport, driving licence, PAN card, NPR smart card, or pension document can be submitted as photo ID proof.
Step 7: Users need to then choose a nearby vaccination centre from the list and select a date based on availability. Users who have a co-morbidity will need to carry a medical certificate when they go to take the vaccine.
Process for registration on Aarogya Setu app:
Step 1: Download and open Aarogya Setu app, and then click on the CoWIN tab on the home screen.
Step 2: Select Vaccination Registration > Enter Phone Number > Enter OTP.
Step 3: Click on Verify > You will be directed to the Registration of Vaccination page
Step 4: Follow the same steps as mentioned in the process for registration on the CoWIN portal.
(With inputs from agencies)
