Register on COWIN website for vaccine, not app: Officials

The State health authorities and Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MOHW) have urged individuals, who are looking to register for Covid vaccination, to visit the website (cowin.gov.in) for booking vacant slots and avoid downloading the COWIN application from Google Play Store, which is only meant for administrators.

On the first day of the Covid vaccination drive for priority groups in Hyderabad, authorities reported that individuals were facing difficulty while self-registering, as the software had glitches. Later, it turned-out that many were downloading the COWIN application from Google play Store, which made it difficult for them to register.

Registration and booking for appointment for Covid vaccination is to be done through Cowin portal ‘cowin.gov.in’. There is no COWIN mobile application for beneficiary registration. The mobile application on Google Play Store is for administrators only,” the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MOHFW) clarified.

Senior health officials on Monday said that the registrations, walk-ins and facilitated cohort registration through mobilisation of beneficiaries will be gradually



increased. “We need to test the entire system in real-time for a few more days before expanding vaccination centres and adding more sessions. On-site registration to eligible beneficiaries will also be available in due course. 

However, we need to plan carefully so as to avoid overcrowding of beneficiaries, especially those above 60 years of age,” says Director of Public Health (DPH), Dr G Srinivasa Rao.

Meanwhile, private multispecialty hospitals in Hyderabad that were identified as Covid Vaccination Centres (CVC) have started receiving beneficiaries who had managed to reserve a vacant slot. Close to 400 individuals had registered for inoculation at Apollo Hospitals, Jubilee Hills and Apollo medical College.

Hospital authorities said that over 200 individuals had turned-up and received the Covid vaccine without any severe Adverse Events Following Immunisation (AEFI). At Care Hospitals, Banjara Hills, close to 200 senior citizens received the Covid vaccine. The hospital officials have maintained that no severe AEFIs were reported during 30 minutes of mandatory observation period.