Covid-19 Vaccination: CoWin Platform To Open Registrations For Those Above 18 Years From 28 April

In a step towards the expansion of Covid-19 vaccine coverage, the CoWin platform will open for registrations to all citizens above the age of 18 from 28 April.

After some media outlets have reported that the registration for vaccination of 18+ citizens will start from 24th April, ‘My Gov’ a citizen engagement platform of the Government of India tweeted that registrations will start on the CoWin platform and Aarogya Setu App from 28 April 2021 onwards.

A meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 19 April decided to allow everyone above the age of 18 to get Covid-19 vaccine from 1 May.

India’s National Covid-19 Vaccination Strategy has been built on a systematic and strategic end-to-end approach, proactively building capacity across R&D, Manufacturing and Administration since April 2020.

India has been following a dynamic mapping model based on availability of vaccines and coverage of vulnerable priority groups to make decisions of when to open up vaccinations to other age-groups. A good amount of coverage of vulnerable groups is expected by 30 April.

Phase-I of the National Covid-19 Vaccination Strategy was launched on 16 January for Health Care Workers and Front Line Workers. As systems and processes stabilised, Phase-II was initiated from 1 March, focusing on all people above 45 years of age, accounting for more than 80 per cent Covid mortality in the country.

In its Phase-III, the National Vaccine Strategy aims at liberalised vaccine pricing and scaling up of vaccine coverage. This would augment vaccine production as well as availability, incentivising vaccine manufacturers to rapidly ramp up their production as well as attract new vaccine manufacturers, domestic and international.