In a major breakthrough, Union Health Ministry on Tuesday announced that prior booking and pre-online registration are no longer mandatory for Covid vaccination.
As per the government, anyone aged 18 years or more can directly go to the nearest vaccination center, where vaccinator performs the on-site registration, and provides vaccination in the same visit, for Covid vaccine.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the health ministry said: "The facilitated registration through the Common Service Centers (CSCs) on Co-WIN, is just one of the many modes of registration on Co-WIN."
The facilitators such as health workers or ASHAs also mobilize beneficiaries in rural areas and those residing in urban slums, for on-site registration and vaccination directly at the nearest vaccination centers.
The ministry also said that the facility for assisted registrations through the 1075 Help Line has also been operationalized.
"That, all the above modes, specifically operationalised for rural areas, are functional and enabling equitable access to vaccination in rural areas, is evident from the fact that, as on 13.06.2021, out of the 28.36 crore beneficiaries registered on Co-WIN, 16.45 crore (58%) beneficiaries have been registered in the on-site mode," the ministry said.
It further said that out of the total 24.84 crore vaccine doses recorded on Co-WIN as on June 13, 19.84 crore doses were administered through walk-in vaccination.
The ministry said that from May 1 till 12 June, out of the total 1,03,585 Covid Vaccination Centers (CVCs) providing vaccination services, 26,114 are operated at the Sub-Health Centers, 26,287 at the Primary Health Centers and 9,441 at the Community Health Centers, amounting to 59.7 per cent of the total vaccination centers.