COVID-19 vaccine registration opens for 18-44 age group: Here's how to register on CoWIN

COVID-19 vaccine (Representative image)

The registration for COVID-19 vaccination for citizens in the 18-44 age group started on April 28. All adults in the country are eligible to receive the jabs from May 1.

The vaccination registrations are expected to increase sharply in view of India’s ambitious move to expand the inoculation programme amidst the second wave of the pandemic.

Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan urged the people through social media to register themselves for the vaccination drive that will begin from May 1.

"Calling all citizens aged 18+ to gear up to get vaccinated against COVID-19 May 1 onwards. Registrations open up tomorrow, Apr 28 (sic)," he tweeted.

Calling all citizens aged 18+ to gear up to get vaccinated against #COVID19 May 1 onwards.

COVID-19 Vaccine

Frequently Asked Questions

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How does a vaccine work?

A vaccine works by mimicking a natural infection. A vaccine not only induces immune response to protect people from any future COVID-19 infection, but also helps quickly build herd immunity to put an end to the pandemic. Herd immunity occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. The good news is that SARS-CoV-2 virus has been fairly stable, which increases the viability of a vaccine.

How many types of vaccines are there?

There are broadly four types of vaccine — one, a vaccine based on the whole virus (this could be either inactivated, or an attenuated [weakened] virus vaccine); two, a non-replicating viral vector vaccine that uses a benign virus as vector that carries the antigen of SARS-CoV; three, nucleic-acid vaccines that have genetic material like DNA and RNA of antigens like spike protein given to a person, helping human cells decode genetic material and produce the vaccine; and four, protein subunit vaccine wherein the recombinant proteins of SARS-COV-2 along with an adjuvant (booster) is given as a vaccine.

What does it take to develop a vaccine of this kind?

Vaccine development is a long, complex process. Unlike drugs that are given to people with a diseased, vaccines are given to healthy people and also vulnerable sections such as children, pregnant women and the elderly. So rigorous tests are compulsory. History says that the fastest time it took to develop a vaccine is five years, but it usually takes double or sometimes triple that time.

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Registrations open up tomorrow, Apr 28 Log on to https://t.co/onObxFr7YT & follow the steps to schedule your appointment..@PMOIndia@MoHFW_INDIA#Unite2FightCorona#LargestVaccineDrivepic.twitter.com/1NZjEHrdjh — Dr Harsh Vardhan (@drharshvardhan) April 27, 2021

Also read: Phase-3 of COVID-19 vaccination begins on May 1 — here is all you need to know

Registration on the CoWIN portal is mandatory for the 18-44 age group. No walk-in facilities will be available for this group initially.

However, those aged 45 years and above will continue to enjoy the on-site registration facility.

Citizens will be able to register and book appointments for vaccination, anytime and anywhere, using the Co-WIN portal.

A person needs to register with his or her mobile number on the CoWIN portal (can be accessed here - www.cowin.gov.in).

They need to fill details like name, date of birth, gender, upload a photo ID proof like Aadhaar Card, Voter Card, Passport, Driving License, PAN Card or Pension Card.

Once the registration process is completed successfully, the beneficiary receives a confirmation message.

Eligible beneficiaries can schedule an appointment from the 'Account Details' page by clicking on 'schedule appointment' on the portal. You can search for the Vaccination Centre of choice by State, District, Block and Pin Code from the drop downs.

The beneficiary needs to click on the Vaccination Centre of choice, to get the dates and check for availability of slots. If a preferred slot is available, they can click on the 'Book' button. Then, an 'Appointment Confirmation' page will be displayed. Click on the 'confirm' button after verifying your details for final confirmation on booking. The scheduled appointment can be downloaded and saved.

It is possible that people may not immediately get an appointment as the states are still figuring out the logistics of the massive exercise. States are expected to put out additional details soon.

If there are no availability of slots, then click on the button to check appointment slots for subsequent days/weeks or try another vaccination centre near you.

In addition to the appointment confirmation letter, a person must carry the photo ID listed on the CoWIN portal at the time of taking the vaccination.

Registration and an appointment needs to be taken for both the private as well as government hospitals, as things stand.

> Open www.cowin.gov.in on the web browser

> Click on “Register/Sign in”; enter your mobile number and click on the ‘Get OTP’ button and then ‘Verify’ OTP

> On the 'Register for Vaccination' page, add details as seen on an accepted photo ID proof; click on ‘Register’

> Click on the ‘Schedule’ option next to the name of the person after registering. Enter your pin code or select vaccination centres manually

> Select date and time and hit ‘Confirm’

Follow Moneycontrol’s full coverage of the coronavirus pandemic here