Covid-19: CoWIN shows ‘Fully/Partially Vaccinated’ badge; on the way to becoming open source

The CoWIN portal, mandatory for Indians to register for vaccines, faced a plethora of problems after it was launched earlier this year. (Reuters)

The CoWIN portal has started displaying a ‘Partially Vaccinated’ or ‘Fully Vaccinated’ badge next to an individual’s name when they log in. The badge will appear on the CoWIN profile after logging in with phone number and OTP.

Tweeting about the new feature on the portal, National Health Authority CEO Dr RS Sharma mentioned that users would also be able to download the badge and share it with friends and family members on social media and let them know about their vaccination status while encouraging them to take the vaccine.

India’s vaccination portal is also becoming completely open source. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced the move during the CoWIN Global Conclave in July. The move would allow any country that requires the software for its own vaccination programme to use the platform.

The CoWIN platform tool tracks citizens’ vaccination status in real time and helps better manage resources.

Now download the fully / partially vaccinated badge from CoWIN (https://t.co/Bt1DbmK6XH) & share it with your friends on all your social platforms! Encourage your family and friends to follow you and #FightCovid.

My Vaccination Status – https://t.co/qpDd44vh5I#PublicHealth pic.twitter.com/q0uOk7ykKC

— Dr. RS Sharma (@rssharma3) November 20, 2021

It implements a cloud-based IT solution, while automating the categorisation and booking of slots for both vaccine doses. This means users booking a slot for their first shot will be shown only first-dose options, while those booking their second dose will only see second-dose results. The platform will also notify users who get their first shot when they can take the second dose, allowing for sufficient time gaps.

The CoWIN portal, mandatory for Indians to register for vaccines, faced a plethora of problems after it was launched earlier this year. The glitches proved to be a stumbling block for many and led to criticism. Many start-ups, volunteer groups, and activists had to pitch in to help citizens, most with zero digital literacy, register.

On the day CoWIN began to take registrations for all adults, the website crashed. Within an hour of registrations opening, the government had to fix a “minor glitch”.