Coronavirus scare continues to haunt us even after a year now. For the past few weeks, the number of infected individuals has increased exponentially. Thankfully, the vaccine drive is aiming to ease the situation. The latest official order notes all citizens 18 years and above are now eligible to get the COVID-19 vaccine in India.
COVID-19 Vaccine For 18 Years And Above
Previously, the Indian Government began the vaccine drive for healthcare workers and frontline warriors, and gradually allowed citizens above the age of 60 to get the vaccine. Soong after, citizens aged 45 years and above were allowed to get the COVID-19 vaccine. Finally, citizens aged 18 years and above can get the COVID-19 vaccine in India, starting from May 1.
Like always, there are a couple of protocols to follow for the COVID-19 vaccine. The entire process is quite simple, but it's important to follow them. Firstly, you would need to register yourself to get the COVID-19 vaccine. For this, you would need photo ID proof, preferably an Aadhaar card and your mobile number.
How To Register For COVID-19 Vaccine?
One can register for the COVID-19 vaccine on the cowin.gov.in website (link). These are the steps to register:
Step 1: Register yourself on the website using your phone number and the OTP.
Step 2: Once done, the page reloads to the Registration of Vaccination page. Here, enter details like your ID type, ID number, name, DoB, gender, and other required details, and select Register.
Step 3: Once you have successfully registered, you will get an SMS with all the necessary information. You will also get a Beneficiary Reference ID, which will be needed later.
That's it! The registration process for the COVID-19 vaccine is done. There is also an option to add more beneficiaries on the website. Alternatively, you can also go to the nearest vaccine center and manually register yourself for the COVID-19 vaccine. Here's how to find the nearest vaccine center.
How To Find Nearest Vaccine Center?
There are several ways to find the nearest vaccine center in your city, town, or village. To make things easy, Google Search and Google Maps are showing you the nearest vaccine center. You can simply search in the browser or the Maps app to find the one closest and convenient to you.
Also, the cowin.gov.in website helps find you a vaccine center. You simply need to enter the place or your address to find the vaccine center. Plus, you can even book an appointment with this website at the center.
To schedule an appointment, select the calendar icon > Schedule Appointment. The page redirects to the Book Appointment for Vaccination, where you can search for the vaccine center. You can select the date convenient for you with the available slots and select it. The Appointment Confirmation page appears once you have clicked the Book button.
How To Download COVID-19 Vaccine Certificate?
Firstly, you can download the COVID-19 vaccine certificate only after you have got the first vaccine shot. Soon after you get the vaccine, the vaccine center will provide you a printed copy of the certificate with a QR code. You can simply scan this for an e-copy. Alternatively, you can also download the COVID-19 vaccine certificate from the cowin.gov.in website or the Aarogya Setu app.