Covid vaccination in Vizag: When, how, and where to get inoculated

The third phase of the Covid vaccination programme, aimed at covering people aged above 60 years and those in the age group of 45 to 59 with co-morbidities, kicked off in Vizag on 1 March. To ramp up the vaccination capacity, as many as 41 government and other private hospitals in Vizag are being involved to administer the shots. As the district administration chalks out plans to amp up the vaccination sites, here’s all you need to know about the ongoing Covid vaccine drive.

Covid vaccination in Vizag: When, how, and where to get inoculated

Eligibility:

According to AMC Principal, Dr PV Sudhakar, people who are above the age of 60 and people within the age bracket of 45 to 59 years with specified co-morbidities are allowed to take the Covid vaccine shots.

Steps to follow for vaccine registration:

1. Open Aarogya Setu or Cowin.gov.in website

2. Enter your mobile number and click on the OTP (One Time Password). Enter the OTP received on your mobile number and click on the verify button.

3. In the Aarogya Setu app, go to the CoWIN tab, and tap on the Vaccination tab. Tap on Proceed.

4. Now, a registration page will appear where you will need to enter your basic details

5. If the person you are registering for is a senior citizen, click on the register button. If you are registering a person with co-morbidities, you have to click on yes when it asks “Do you have any co-morbidities (pre-existing medical conditions)”. Once registered, a confirmation message will be sent to the registered mobile number. It may be noted that people age between 45 years to 60 years will need to carry a medical certificate when they go for the appointment.

6. After the registration process, the system will display account details. One individual can add four more people linked to the mobile number entered before. You can click on the ‘Add button’ and enter the details of other individuals to register for them as well.

7. Later on, you can schedule an appointment. Now, enter details like State/UT, District, Block, and Pincode. Once all these details are entered, click on the “Search” button.

8. A list of vaccination centres will appear depending on your location. You can choose one of them and then see the vaccination dates available at these centres.

9. An “Appointment Confirmation” page will open showing the details of the booking. You can submit and download and the confirmation of the vaccination details.

It is to be noted that the CoWIN app on the Play Store for registration is for administrators only. Citizens can go to http://www.cowin.gov.in to register themselves or via the Aarogya Setu app, which has CoWIN app integration.

Cost of vaccination:

The vaccination is free at the government facilities. The government has capped the price of Covid vaccines at private hospitals at Rs 250 per dose.

Where to get vaccinated in Vizag:

In a conversation with Yo!, Dr PV Sudhakar mentioned that VIMS, Pradhama Hospital, and 39 other government and private facilities in Vizag have been chosen as vaccination sites. Appreciating the government’s move for involving private partners, the Visakhapatnam District Covid Officer stressed that a significant percentage of the population should be vaccinated in a shorter time span to effectively tackle the virus. He added that if the vaccination drive continues for years together, there might be a threat to the development of newer strains.