On-site registration for COVID-19 vaccination, in addition to the online appointments, has been enabled for the 18-44 years age group on the CoWIN registration portal for Government COVID Vaccination Centers (CVCs), the Centre said on Monday, 24 May.
So far, the facility of only online appointment was available for people in the age group of 18 to 44 years, which the Centre says “helped to avoid overcrowding at the vaccination centres.”
In a statement, the Health Ministry said that the decision was taken “based on the various representations given by the States and inputs received by Union Health Ministry.”
“This feature will not be available for Private CVCs presently, and the Private CVCs will have to publish their vaccination schedules exclusively with slots for online appointments,” the Ministry said.
The Centre said that in case beneficiaries of online appointemnts do not turn up towards the end of the day, on-site registration of a few beneficiariescan be done to minimize the vaccine wastage.
The Centre said that the decision was taken with due consideration of “those without access to internet or smart phones or mobile phones.”
How Will CVCs Decide on On-Site Registrations?
According to the Centre, the facility is supposed to be provided depending upon the“decision of the respective State/UT Government to do so.”
“State/UT must decide on the opening of on-site registrations/facilitated cohorts’ registration and appointments for 18-44 years age group based on the local context just as an additional measure to minimise vaccine wastage and for facilitating vaccination of eligible beneficiaries in the age group 18-44 years,” the Health Ministry said.
The ministry further advised the states and Union territories to issue clear instructions to all District Immunisation Officers to strictly adhere to decision of the respective governments regarding the “extent and manner of using the on-site registration and appointment feature.”
“Fully reserved sessions can also be organised for providing vaccination services to the beneficiaries belonging to facilitated cohorts. Wherever such fully reserved sessions are organised, all efforts must also be made to mobilise such beneficiaries in sufficient numbers,” it said.
The decision by the Centre comes even as many in the 18-44 age group are struggling to get slots for vaccination on the CoWIN and Aarogya Setu portals.
The Centre on Monday said that it has sent over 21 crore vaccine doses to the states so far.
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