Online registration for COVID-19 vaccine not mandatory

The Union Health Ministry said on Tuesday that online registration is not mandatory for COVID-19 vaccination. The ministry said that any adult can go to the nearest vaccination centre, register on-site and receive the vaccine.

"Pre-registration for vaccination through online registration and prior booking of appointment is not mandatory to avail of vaccination services. Anyone, aged 18 years or more, can directly go to the nearest vaccination centre where vaccinator performs the on-site registration and provides vaccination in the same visit. This is also popularly known as 'walk-ins'," said the ministry.

It added that registration through CoWIN is just one of the many modes. "The facilitated registration through the Common Service Centres (CSCs) on Co-WIN, is just one of the many modes of registration on Co-WIN. The facilitators such as health workers or ASHAs, also mobilise beneficiaries in rural areas and those residing in urban slums, for on-site registration and vaccination directly at the nearest vaccination centres," it said.

All these modes were made operational especially for rural areas. Till June 13, out of the 28.36 crore beneficiaries registered on CoWIN, 16.45 crore of 58 per cent were registered in the on-site mode, the ministry added.

"Out of the total 69,995 vaccination centres so far classified by states on Co-WIN as rural or urban, 49,883 vaccination centres, i.e. 71 per cent, are located in rural areas," it said.

The ministry further gave a glimpse of how tribal areas were performing when it comes to vaccines. It said that vaccination per million population in tribal districts is higher than the national average. "128 out of 176 tribal districts are performing better than all India vaccination coverage. More walk-in vaccinations are happening in tribal districts as compared to national average," it said.

Gender ratio is also better in tribal districts.

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