New Delhi: Aadhaar authentication and SMS confirming vaccination in at least 12 languages are some of the features of the CoWIN app that India is developing. The CoWin app will be the main system to inoculate millions of people against COVID-19. The CoWIN app is an abbreviation of for Covid Vaccine Intelligence Network. The app and its ecosystem will be used to manage and scale up the massive vaccination drive amid the pandemic. So far DCGI has granted approval for emergency use authorisation for the use of two COVID-19 vaccines. They are Oxford-AstraZeneca’s Covishield developed by the Serum Institute of India (SII) and Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin.
Here’s what you need to know about COVID-19 vaccination before you get the precautionary jab.
There will be automated allocation of vaccination session via the CoWIN ecosystem. One of the authentication methods would be use of Aadhaar to prevent malpractice.
There is a plan to create a unique healthy identity for those who wish to have it. There will be close reporting and tracking of any possible adverse effects after a person gets the vaccine.
SMS in 12 languages will be sent to guide those waiting to get vaccinated. Health workers engaged in inoculation will also get the same SMS. Then a QR code based vaccination certificate will issued to the person after all the doses. People can store the certificate in their mobile phone.
The government’s document storage app ‘DigiLocker’ can be integrated to store and fetch the QR code based certificate. There will be a 24×7 helpline.
However, as of now people cannot register their names on the CoWIN app. Only officials have access to it. CoWIN has data of 75 lakh health officials who will be first in line to get vaccinated. Once the app is up and running, it will have four modules – user administrator module, beneficiary registration, vaccination and beneficiary acknowledgment, and status update.
Once the app is launched, CoWIN app will give three options for registration. They are self-registration, individual registration (an official would help by uploading data) and bulk upload.
For data of those above 50, the government will refer to the electoral rolls and feed that data into CoWIN. Then the app will be opened for the public. If an individual finds that his or her name is not in the list they can approach the district or block officer and can get their name registered. They can also self-register.
Those below 50 who have cardiac diseases or cancer, they can upload their medical certificate into the system.
The government has said that over 90,000 people in 700 districts have been trained to use the software.
The data of healthcare and other medical frontline workers have been already been uploaded on the platform. So they don’t have to register their names again.