People using the CoWIN portal are often at a loss over correcting discrepancies and making changes in their accounts.
Here is a guide to the facilities available on the portal such as slot booking, carrying out corrections, account merging, certificate downloading through WhatsApp and others:
Correcting errors
Wrong details in the vaccination certificate such as name, year of birth, sex and number of the identification document can be changed. However, the number of times the changes could be carried out is limited to one.
Login on the portal - cowin.gov.in – with the registered mobile number and at ‘Raise an Issue’, choose the person’s profile. Below ‘What is the issue’, select ‘Correction in Certificate.’
Remember that corrections are allowed only for two items among name, year of birth, sex and photo ID number. After ticking the necessary item, the option to change would appear. Click ‘Continue’ and submit. A message reading ‘Your request has been submitted successfully and is under procession’ will appear.
Subsequently, you can check the option ‘Track Request’ and download the certificate.
Insert your passport number
Your passport number may be added to the vaccination certificate. This is helpful for people travelling abroad.
Login after receiving both doses of the vaccine; select ‘Add passport details’ under ‘Raise an Issue’; open ‘Select member’; choose profile; type the passport number in the adjacent column and submit.
You will receive a message that the application has been received. ‘Track request’ option could be used and the new vaccination certificate displaying your passport number downloaded later.
However, note that this updation is allowed only once. Moreover, ensure that the name on the passport as well as the vaccination certificate is identical.
Merging accounts
In case you have used two mobile numbers for receiving each dose of vaccine, you can still merge the accounts. In both the vaccination certificates of such persons, it would be mentioned that they have received the first dose only.
To set right this discrepancy, select ‘Certificate correction’ under ‘Raise an issue’ on the portal.
Login with the mobile number used to take the first dose. Choose ‘Multiple Dose#1 Provisional certificate’ in ‘Raise an issue.’ Open ‘Member Details’ and select profile. You can see the beneficiary ID and date of the first dose.
In the column ‘Vaccination Dose #2’, type in the beneficiary ID and mobile number used to take the second dose.
Click the tick mark near a statement beginning with ‘I declare…’ and submit the request. After the application is cleared, you can download the fresh vaccination certificate.
Certificate on WhatsApp
The COVID-19 vaccination certificate can be downloaded through WhatsApp using the ‘MyGov Corona Helpdesk’ under the Central Government’s IT Department. But the service can be accessed only from the WhatsApp account of a mobile number registered on CoWIN portal.
To use the service, save the number 9013151515 on your mobile and open WhatsApp. Type ‘Download certificate’ and send message. You will receive an OTP on your mobile and send a reply on WhatsApp.
Names of people registered with the mobile number will be displayed and type the number against the person whose certificate needs to be downloaded. The certificate will be sent as a PDF message.
You can also type ‘Menu’ for more services.
Remove ‘unknown’ persons in your account
Suppose another person has taken the vaccine your mobile number, you can remove the details of that person from your account.
Such errors often creep in when the phone number is recorded wrongly during spot registration as OTP is not needed there.
To correct this discrepancy, login to the CoWIN portal using your mobile number and open ‘Raise an issue’ menu; click on ‘Remove unknown member’; select ‘Unknown Member Details’; tick declaration below and submit request.
Other services
Four persons can register on the CoWIN portal using one mobile number. Often, friends register together. However, the registered phone number could be changed to that of different persons.
Also note that your account could be blocked if you search continuously.
Private platforms
Meanwhile, the government has allowed private apps such as PayTM to book vaccine slots, apart from CoWIN. Notable apps developed by Keralite Bertie Thomas are under45.in and above45.in They are part of the major health platform HealthifyMe. Alerts would be sent on Telegram.
Helpline
Doubts regarding CoWIN could be cleared on helpline +91 11 23978046 (Toll free 1075). Technical helpline: 0120 4473222.
