Government introduces new security feature on CoWin digital platform

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The Ministry of Health & Family Welfare on Friday, May 7 announced a new security feature on the CoWin digital platform- ‘4 digit security code’. The 4 digit security code feature will help in minimising data entry errors while booking vaccination appointments.

This security feature will be applicable from May 8, 2021 and is aimed at reducing inconvenience caused to citizens due to error by the vaccinators. The ministry noted that citizens who did not receive their first dose of vaccination still received notification of vaccines being administered to them.

The feature will be applicable only for citizens who have done an online booking for a vaccination slot. The 4-digit security code will be printed in the appointment acknowledgment slip and be unknown to the vaccinator. The code will be sent in the confirmation SMS to the beneficiary after successfully booking an appointment. The appointment acknowledgment slip can be saved and shown from the mobile, the statement read.

This new addition will also ensure that the data entries regarding the vaccination status of a citizen, are recorded correctly. This will also reduce the opportunities for impersonation and wrongful use of flexibilities provided in CoWIN for facilitating vaccination coverage.

In addition to these, the ministry also released a new set of advisories on Covid vaccination phase 3.

Advisory for citizens –

• Citizens are required to carry a copy (digital or physical) of their appointment slip and/or the registered mobile phone with appointment confirmation SMS, so that the 4-digit security code can be furnished for easy completion of the vaccination recording process.
• The security code may be furnished to the verifier/vaccinator before the vaccine dose has been administered. This is important for the issuance of a digital certificate after the vaccine dose has been administered.

-Citizens will also get a confirmation SMS after the process has been successfully completed. If one does not get the confirmation SMS, one should get in touch with the vaccinator/ vaccination center in-charge, the advisory read.