Though vaccinations in the country opened up for those between the ages of 18-44 on May 1, due to a shortage of vaccines the rollout was temporarily suspended in a number of states. But now, as states have placed orders and are procuring more vaccines, more slots are opening for the 18-44 age group in private and government medical centres. As of now, Covishield from SII and Covaxin from Bharat Biotech are the most widely available vaccines. With the Russian-made vaccine Sputnik V being administered by some private hospitals in the country,
On May 24 on-site registration was enabled on the Co-WIN app for the 18+ group. But it is important to note that this feature is only available for those getting vaccinated at government COVID Vaccination Centers (CVCs) at present
To register for your vaccination you will need to:
>Download the Aarogya Setu app and click the vaccination icon on the app. Or else, you can log into the Co-WIN portal from a computer or mobile device by going to the site: https://selfregistration.cowin.gov.in.
> Once the Co-WIN page opens you will be asked to enter your mobile number. After doing that, click on ‘Get OTP’. A six-digit OTP number will be sent to your mobile phone via SMS. Enter the OTP and click the verify button.
>The page where you can register will open on the Co-WIN portal. Fill in your details, such as name, gender, year of birth and ID proof. Remember that whatever ID proof you give, you will have to carry that with you to the vaccination centre.
> Next there is a page for 'Account Details'. Here, you can add up to three other people to be vaccinated. You will have to fill in their details and they will be linked to your mobile number. To add people, click on the “Add More” button at the bottom right side of the page.
> You are now registered on the portal. Next, schedule your appointment. Click on the ‘Calendar’ icon to book your appointment or click on ‘Schedule appointment’.
> To do this, the next page will ask you to check for your nearest vaccination centre. You can search for this either by searching on the map, or through pincode or district. After filling in the details, click on the ‘Search’ button to find the vaccination centre in the selected location.
> When you click on the ‘Search’ button, you will get a list of the vaccination centres as per your search criteria. If you cannot see any centre as per your selection criteria, try to change the pin code or the block you have selected.
> You will find options of vaccination centres–both paid and free–click on your choice and find when the next appointment slots will be available. You can see the date and time of the next available appointment, and the age group for which the centre is vaccinating. You will also be able to see which vaccine you will be given at the centre.
>Once you select your appointment, you will be sent to a confirmation page with the details of the appointment. Here, under your details an option will be there for you to download your appointment slip. Make sure to carry this slip with you either in physical or digital form while going to the vaccination centre. You will also get an SMS confirming your appointment.
> The appointment confirmation slip and the SMS you receive after successfully booking an appointment will bear a four-digit security code. The appointment acknowledgement slip can also be saved and shown from the mobile.
>At the vaccination centre you must provide this security code to the vaccinator, because only after updating with this security code will the digital certificate be generated. You will also get a confirmation SMS after the process has been completed.
>When you get the confirmation SMS it means that the vaccination process has been completed successfully and the digital certificate has been generated. If you do not get the confirmation SMS, please get in touch with the vaccinator or the vaccination centre in-charge.
>After you get vaccinated, you will receive a vaccination certificate on the Co-WIN portal. The certificate will have details of your vaccination centre, the vaccine you received, and when you should get your next shot. Download this certificate and keep it, as it may be required for your second shot.
> In case you wish to reschedule the appointment, you can log into the ‘Citizen Registration’ module with your registered mobile number and click on ‘Reschedule’.
Watch an explainer on what happens if you miss the second dose: