The CentreтАЩs CoWIN platform will be scaled up rapidly to service the third phase of the Covid-19 expanded vaccination drive starting May 1 under the new policy, National Health Authority chairman RS Sharma told ET on Tuesday, adding that it will continue to keep track of each vaccine administered and issue certificates.
тАЬThe software (CoWIN) will be appropriately changed to take care of the new policy directive of the government. Certain changes would be brought in the software тАУ like different vaccines being used, which age group would the governmentтАЩs vaccination drive include. Co-WIN would be scaled up. The Centre would keep a record of every vaccination across India and issue a digital certificate,тАЭ he told ET.
The Centre on Monday decided to open up vaccination for all adults above 18 years тАУ a demand put up by many chief ministers as the second Covid-19 wave gripped India. The state governments can now directly acquire vaccines from manufacturers at a pre-declared price instead of depending on the Centre. The state governments would have the choice to open up vaccination in a graded manner.
тАЬThe CoWIN platform will continue to provide services as per the policies of the government. Application programming interface (APIs) have been published for all the modules of our software. The state governments and private hospitals would have a choice whether to use our CoWIN or to integrate their own programmes with our software,тАЭ Sharma said.
The government, he added, would come up with an API policy this week, which would spell out how a private hospital or a state government would be required to integrate their systems and report all vaccinations done by them so that a proper vaccination certificate can be issued.
тАЬIf a private hospital wants to use our appointment system or our vaccination system, or appointment system but not our vaccination system тАУ it will be spelt out how these will be integrated. The essential requirement is that they pass on the information to our system,тАЭ said Sharma.
