Coronavirus vaccine registration: FAQs on Covid-19 vaccine, CoWIN, and more

Do I have to register for coronavirus vaccine? How to register on CoWIN? Are Covishield and Covaxin safe? What are the side effects and risks: Here're answers to all your questions on Covid-19 vaccine

Indians older than 18 can register themselves for vaccination against Covid-19 from 4 pm today, the central government has said. A tweet from the official handle of Aarogya Setu, the central government's mobile application for contact-tracing and dissemination of medical advisories, read: "Registration for 18 plus to begin on http://cowin.gov.in, Aarogya Setu App & UMANG App at 4 PM on 28th April. Appointments at State Govt centers & Private centers depending on how many vaccination centers are ready on 1st May for Vaccination of 18 plus."

Procedure to register for the vaccination:

Step 1: Go to https://www.cowin.gov.in/home and click on the "register/sign-in" option.

Step 2: Enter your mobile number and generate OTP.

Step 3: Enter the OTP and "verify" it.

Step 4: Following the verification of your mobile number with OTP, register yourself with required details such as name, age, gender and photo ID.

Step 5: Click on "Register" and then go to the "Schedule" option.

Step 6: Enter the pin code of your area or select from the list of states, followed by districts.

Step 7: Select your preferred vaccination centre, date and time and "Confirm".

You can also register through the Aarogya Setu app

Step 1: Download and sign in to the Aarogya Setu app

Step 2: Click on CoWIN

Step 3: Selection 'vaccination (login/register)'Enter your mobile number and generate OTP.

The remaining steps will be as mentioned above for registration from www.cowin.gov.in

India has been using two vaccines - Covishield, produced by the Pune-based Serum Institute of India, and Covaxin, manufactured by Bharat Biotech - to inoculate people. But on April 13, the Centre decided to fast-track emergency approval for Covid vaccines used in other parts of the world.

Serum Institute of India has listed risks that could come with its Covishield vaccine (may affect more than 1 in 10 people)

• tenderness, pain, warmth, redness, itching, swelling or bruising where the injection is given

• generally feeling unwell

• feeling tired (fatigue)

• chills or feeling feverish

• headache

• feeling sick (nausea)

• joint pain or muscle ache

Common side-effects of vaccines (may affect up to 1 in 10 people)
 

• a lump at the injection site

• fever

• being sick (vomiting)

• flu-like symptoms, such as high temperature, sore throat, runny nose, cough and chills

Uncommon (may affect up to 1 in 100 people)

• feeling dizzy

• decreased appetite

• abdominal pain

• enlarged lymph nodes

• excessive sweating, itchy skin or rash

If you experience a severe allergic reaction, call or go to the nearest hospital.

FAQs regarding coronavirus vaccine

Why to get Covid-19 vaccine?

Covid-19 can have serious, life-threatening complications. If you get sick, you could spread the disease to friends, family, and others around you.

After how long does the Covid vaccine give protection against the virus?

Vaccines teach our immune system how to recognise and fight an external threat — in this case, the virus that causes Covid-19. It typically takes a few weeks after vaccination for the body to build protection (immunity) against the virus. This means that a person could still get infected by Covid-19 in the few days immediately following the vaccination, because the person would not have had enough time to develop immunity. Therefore, basic precautionary measures must be followed even after vaccination. Face masks, hand hygiene, and physical distancing in public places must not be abandoned just because a vaccine has been taken. Cough/sneeze etiquette also needs to be followed.

The vaccine is likely to produce anti-bodies after two-four weeks of the second dose

Can I choose the vaccine?

System will show the vaccine being administered in each vaccination centre at the time of scheduling an appointment. Citizen can choose the vaccination centre as per their choice of vaccine being administered However, the choice will not be available at the Government facilities .

What precautions should I take at the time of second dose vaccination?

Vaccination centres have been directed to ensure that if a citizen is being vaccinated with 2nd dose, they should confirm that the first dose vaccination was done with the same vaccine as is being offered at the time of second dose and that the first dose was administered more than 28 days ago. You should share the correct information about the vaccine type and the date of 1st dose vaccination with the vaccinator. You should carry your vaccine certificate issued after the first dose.

Can I get vaccinated with second dose in a different State/District?

Yes, you can get vaccinated in any State/District. The only restriction is that you will be able to get vaccinated only on those centres which are offering the same vaccine as was administered to you on your first dose.

Which documents should I carry with me for vaccination?

You should carry your identity proof specified by you at the time of registration on the Co-WIN portal and a printout/screenshot of your appointment slip.

I have registered myself on CoWin portal. However, I am not able to make any booking as I do not see any vaccination facility near my location? What should I do?

Yes, it is possible that no facility near your place has published their vaccination program as yet. You may wait for some time till vaccination facilities near your place are onboarded on Co-Win platform, become active and start their services.