Paytm launches vaccine appointment booking feature on mobile app

Fintech major Paytm on Monday said its users will now be able to book vaccination appointment on the app apart from finding available slots.

"Paytm users can now search, discover & also book their vaccination slots for both Covaxin and Covishield at the nearest centre through the Paytm app. The service would help Indians seamlessly book vaccination slots and gain immunity, helping in fighting the ongoing pandemic," Paytm said in a statement.

CoWIN head R S Sharma had recently said over a dozen entities, including large digital companies like Paytm, MakeMyTrip and Infosys, are looking at approval for offering vaccine bookings.

The government had, last month, released new guidelines for the integration of CoWIN with third-party applications, easing the way for such apps to offer vaccine bookings.

Previously, giants like Facebook and Google to startups such as HealthifyMe have introduced a slew of tools to help people find slots for vaccination appointments.

Platforms like Under45 and GetJab became popular overnight as they alerted users when vaccine slots opened up and then directed them to the CoWIN platform to secure an appointment.

In May, Paytm too had launched 'Vaccine Finder' feature on the app to help the user find leads for vaccine booking, including information such as the type of vaccine available and the fee charged for it.

"It is our endeavour to help India come out of this pandemic a lot stronger. Our vaccine finder will help citizens seamlessly book slots at the nearest centre and get vaccinated," a Paytm spokesperson said.

India has been ramping up vaccination to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic. India has so far administered over 25.4 crore jabs to eligible beneficiaries.

The government has been undertaking vaccinations in a phased manner, starting with those over 60 years, then for those over 45 years and most recently, for those aged between 18-44 years.