The pandemic has indeed taken its toll and it is time for Humanity to answer the deadly virus back in the way we know best. Ever since the pandemic broke out, attempts at coming up with a vaccine began in full swing all over the world. India was also not too far behind in the attempt to come up with a vaccine to fight the dangerous Covid-19 virus.

Considering the chaos that might ensue with the announcement of the vaccine and attempts to phase out the whole vaccination process in a systematic manner, now that India seems to be rolling out vaccines, the government introduced a new digital platform – CoWIN.

What is CoWIN?

CoWIN will be the digitized platform dedicated to rolling out the Covid-19 vaccines. This app is yet to be rolled out so do not be in a rush to head to your play store and download it, as it might be a bogus app. As these apps are known to collect sensitive and medically relevant information, it is vital that one checks the background of the app before actually downloading it.

CoWIN – Covid Vaccine Intelligence Network) is supposed to be a one-stop digital platform to make sure the entire vaccination process across the nation ends up being a streamlined process.

Status on the app rolling out

The app is still in its nascent stages and rolling out might still be a while. The IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad has announced a challenge asking IT developers across the nation to augment, scale, and strengthen the CoWIN platform. But from what we know about the app yet, as per the details listed on the MeitY site, the CoWIN app will have several modules integrated into it.

Some of the modules are:

  1. Administration module for bulk registration.
  2. Beneficiary module for self-registration.
  3. Vaccination module for verification of beneficiary details and to know due to updates of the vaccination status.
  4. Beneficiary acknowledgement and status updating modules for SMS alert, details, issuance of electronic vaccination certificate.

The app will also have a CoWIN dashboard with all the information including details like name, age, mobile number, vaccination status, date and time of vaccination, place of vaccination, session site, health facility, and even the name of the vaccinator.

As of now, the app is being offered to only a few select IT individuals who have access to the backend and who can make necessary changes to the coding of the app for a smoother user interface for people all over the nation.

Users, once the app rolls out, would have to upload their photo identity to register for the app. This uploading of user identity can be done through an Aadhaar card, driving license, or even a PAN card.

The app is said to be compatible even for KaiOS users as well. It should also work fine on Jio Phones, which are reasonable smartphones rolled out for those who cannot afford mainstream smartphones.

The CoWIN app is finally on the horizon of reality as we stand with bated breaths for the last blow on the menace that Covid-19 has been.