In India, the COVID vaccine will be made available only to those who register on CoWIN with a valid photo ID.

The Union Health Ministry updated that pre-registration through CoWIN and appointment scheduling are not required to get the COVID-19 vaccination.

The Union Health Ministry updated that pre-registration through CoWIN and appointment scheduling are not required to get the COVID-19 vaccination.Vaccination drive against coronavirus has started in India, with the frontline workers getting the priority. The Indian government has developed an app called Co-WIN (Winning Over COVID-19) as a comprehensive solution for planning, implementation & monitoring COVID-19 vaccination in India. The app will monitor the delivery of vaccines and as a technology backup for the vaccination drive. It will ensure there is no proxy and identify the individual beneficiaries.

On January 13, 2021, the Ministry of Health has said that registration with any listed photo identification is mandatory to receive a vaccine. Only pre-registered recipients on the app will be vaccinated, and there is no On-spot registration. After completing the registration, the recipient will receive an SMS on their registered mobile number on the due date, place, and time of vaccination. A photo ID is essential for registering and verifying the recipient at the session site to ensure that the intended person is vaccinated.

On June 15, 2021, the Union Health Ministry updated that online registration for COVID-19 vaccination is unnecessary. According to the ministry, any adult can go to the nearest vaccination center, register on the spot, and get the vaccine.

It is not mandatory to pre-register for vaccinations via online registration or schedule an appointment to get immunization services. Anyone above 18 can go immediately to the nearest vaccination center, where a vaccinator will complete on-site registration and immunization in one visit. This is sometimes referred to as walk-ins, the Health Ministry said.

It added that Co-WIN registration is only one of several options. One of the various ways to register on Co-WIN is through the Common Service Centres (CSCs). In rural regions and underdeveloped urban areas, beneficiaries can also be mobilized by facilitators such as health professionals or ASHAs for on-site registration and immunization at nearby vaccination centers.

Update: In a previous version of this fact check, we marked this claim as true since it was mandatory for people to register online to get vaccinated. However, following the Union Health Ministry's announcement on June 15, 2021, we have updated the information about this claim.

The COVID-19 pandemic has given rise to a lot of potentially dangerous misinformation. For reliable advice on COVID-19, including symptoms, prevention, and available treatment, please refer to the World Health Organization or your national healthcare authority.