How to register for the covid vaccine in India?

Vaccination is the only cure against the deadly coronavirus. Currently, more than 5.5 crore people in India have already received a covid vaccine jab, with the government now opening up the vaccination drive for all people over the age of 45.

How to register for the COVID vaccine?

If you’re over the age of 45, you can register for the COVID-19 vaccine. Here’s a step-by-step guide to for Covid vaccine registration:

There are two ways to book an appointment for the COVID-19 vaccine: directly through the CoWIN (CoWIN vaccine) portal, which is a cloud-based application for planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of Covid-19, or through the Arogya Setu app.
If you go with the CoWIN app, you’ll first have to enter your mobile number.

Then click on the OTP (One Time Password). Now, enter the OTP received on your phone and hit the verify button.

In case you want to register through the Aarogya Setu app, first, download the application if you don’t have it already.
Then, go to the CoWIN tab. You’ll see a Vaccination tab there. Tap on it and then click Proceed.
A registration page will appear in front of you. There you will need to fill in the beneficiary’s details, such as name, year of birth and gender. A beneficiary is a person who will get the vaccination jab. After entering those details, you will also need to enter the photo id type.

The next depends on who the registration is meant for. If it is for a senior citizen, hit Register.
If it is for a person with comorbidities, which means someone with an existing medical condition such as diabetes, click YES when the form asks, “Do you have any comorbidities (pre-existing medical conditions)?”. Ensure, however, that if you click YES, the beneficiary will need to carry a medical certificate when they go for their vaccine appointment.
After you’re done with the registration, a confirmation message will be sent to your registered mobile number.

How to book an appointment COVID vaccine?

The details about the appointment will be shown under “Account Details”. There you’ll see the ‘Add More’ button. You can use it to add up to three more beneficiaries. To schedule an appointment, hit the calendar icon, which is under the Action column. Now follow these steps:

After you’ve picked a date and time for the vaccine appointment, you will be directed to the ‘Book Appointment for Vaccination’ page.
The address of the beneficiaries, such as State/UT, District, Block and Pin Code is needed. Hit the Search button after entering the address.
Every district has a number of vaccination centres. Depending on your search criteria, the most relevant centers will be displayed.
You can choose the centre you want. Once you’ve selected a centre, the available slots will be shown to you.
Choose the slot which suits you the best. Proceed by clicking ‘Book’.
A normal web page with “Appointment Successful” message will be displayed on the screen.

Try and reach the centre on time as it helps the health officials. In case you cannot go to the centre due to an emergency, reschedule your appointment by clicking on the edit icon below the ‘Action’ column against registered individuals.

Documents Required to Register for Covid Vaccination

The following documents are needed for the vaccine registration process, according to the Indian government:

Aadhaar Card
PAN Card
Passport
Driving License
Voter ID Card
Passbook from Bank/Post office
MGNREGA Job Card
Pension Documents
Smart Card issued by RGI under NPR
Smart card for Health insurance issued by the Ministry of Labour & Employment.
Official ID cards issued to the MPs/MLAs/MLCs.
Employee ID cards from the central/state government/public limited company

Who is Eligible for Covid Vaccination?

Due to supply chain constraints and availability, the government has prioritised approximately 30 crore people. At first, the COVID 19 vaccine will be administered only to priority groups based on particular criteria:

Front-line and hospital workers
Defence Personnel
Sanitation Staff
Anyone above the age of 45 years

The management authority will notify the eligible beneficiaries about where & when the vaccination will be carried out based on their registered mobile number. This process is done to avoid the inconvenience of identifying and vaccinating beneficiaries.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Is online registration required?

Ans: No, besides online registration, you can also visit any nearby vaccination centre (private or government) for on-spot registration.

Is the vaccine free of charge?

Ans: Currently, government hospitals and clinics provide free vaccination. The cost of vaccination in private hospitals is up to ₹250 rupees per dose.

Are there any side effects of the vaccine?

Ans: Some people may experience side effects after vaccination, such as fatigue, fever, chills, nausea, vomiting, and joint pain. These side effects are very common and should go away within a day or two.

In India, which Covid-19 vaccines are used? Can you choose?

Ans: In India, two vaccines have been approved:

Covishield (by Serum Institute of India)
2. Covaxin (by Bharat Biotech Limited).

At present, beneficiaries cannot choose between 2 vaccines.

Will a person receive a certificate after vaccination?

Ans: Yes, a temporary certificate will be given after the first dose. After completing the second dose, you will receive a link to download the digital vaccination certificate. The certificate can also be stored in the digital locker.

Can confirm/suspected of having Covid-19 patients be vaccinated?

Ans: The authorities have stated that people with confirmed/suspected Covid-19 cases need to delay vaccination for 14 days after showing symptoms.

Can you smoke or drink alcohol after receiving the Covid-19 vaccine?

Ans: Currently, there’s no specific guideline but drinking alcohol/smoking will interfere with the mechanism in which the antibodies are expected to be produced in the body after taking the COVID-19 vaccine. Hence, it’s recommended to avoid smoking/drinking for at least 2 weeks for the better benefit of the vaccine.