Covid vaccination drive in India: Registration, process and documents needed

Indian government has approved two of its top COVID-19 vaccine contenders Oxford-AstraZeneca's Covishield and Bharat Biotech's Covaxin for emergency use on Sunday. Meanwhile, the government has conducted two vaccine dry runs to identify the shortcomings of the process and rectify it. As per reports COVID-19 vaccine in the country is likely to be rolled out in January.

Here's all you need to know about the process

Is it mandatory to take the vaccine?

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No, taking the vaccine is voluntary.

First recipients of the Covid vaccine

Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan on Saturday said that free coronavirus vaccines will be provided to 3 crore frontline workers in the first base of the mega vaccination drive in India.

"In first phase of COVID-19 Vaccination, free vaccine shall be provided across the nation to most prioritised beneficiaries that include 1 crore healthcare and 2 crore frontline workers," Vardhan wrote on Twitter.

People over 50 years of age and people with comorbidities will also be part of priority groups.

How do we register for Covid-19 vaccination?

As per reports, the COVID-19 Vaccine Intelligence Network (Co-WIN) system will be used to track the enlisted beneficiaries for vaccination and COVID-19 vaccines on a real-time basis.

Only pre-registered beneficiaries will be vaccinated per the prioritization – there will be no provision for on-the-spot registrations.

The registered mobile number will be used to inform the eligible beneficiaries.

Currently, common people cannot register for the upcoming vaccine for the coronavirus pandemic as only officials have access to it for now.

Once live, the Co-WIN app or website will give three options for registration including self-registration, individual registration, and bulk upload. The logistics of it have not yet been revealed.

What are the required documents for registration?

One of the following document will be required for registration – Driving licence, PAN card, bank passbook, passport, pension document, MGNERGA job card, voter ID, official IDs of MPs/ MLAs/ MLCs, government-issued service ID card and health insurance smartcard issued by Ministry of Labour.

Photo ID is a must for both registration and verification of beneficiary at the session site to ensure that the intended person is vaccinated, the guidelines state.

How will one know if they are eligible for vaccination?

The eligible beneficiaries would be informed through their mobile number.

How many doses of the vaccine would be required?

The government has said that two doses of the vaccine 28 days apart must be administered for a beneficiary.

Will the covid-19 vaccine be given to everyone simultaneously?

No, the vaccination process would take place in phases. The first phase would include high-risk groups as aforementioned.

(With inputs from agencies)