E-Paper
Govt to soon launch CoWIN-like platform for its vaccination drive
U-WIN will capture each vaccination event of all pregnant women and children under India’s universal immunization programme and will have the immunization schedule for infants, children and pregnant women.
India will soon deploy a centralised online platform and database called UWIN on the government’s immunisation programme for children and pregnant women that has been developed by the health ministry on the lines of the CoWin platform that was successfully used for vaccination during the Covid-19 pandemic, according to people familiar with the matter.
“The platform formally is likely to be launched towards the end of this month or early next month, even though it has been successfully tested on a pilot project basis in many states,” a government official said, seeking anonymity. “U-WIN is a meticulously designed platform, having taken lessons from the CoWin platform that was the backbone for implementation of the national immunization programme against Covid-19.”
U-WIN will capture each vaccination event of all pregnant women and children under India’s universal immunization programme and will have the immunization schedule for infants, children and pregnant women.
For the convenience of those needing to be vaccinated, the platform will allow the facility of scheduling an appointment online and then record immunization details. People will also be able to download or view their e-vaccination certificate. Similar to the model followed during Covid-19 vaccination, people will be able to look for a nearby vaccination centre online and book a slot according to their convenience.
Online self-registration for pregnant women includes creating a one-time registration number. Those who were already registered on CoWIN would be required to use the same mobile number to access U-WIN. The new registration of a child can also be done using the guardian’s existing account.
Apart from the platform, the usual registration process through walk-in or on-site modes at nearest vaccination centre will continue to remain available. Beneficiaries will get a digital acknowledgement for vaccination every time a dose is administered and receive a digital vaccination certificate.
Beneficiaries will also get SMS notifications and reminders with next due dates of their subsequent vaccination. It will also help strengthen adherence to dose interval with minimum dose interval between two doses through the U-WIN system.
With the digitization of the vaccination system, people will have the provision to get vaccinated at any vaccination centres of their choice across the country. The platform will be run under the supervision of the immunization division of the health ministry.
The universal immunization programme is a part of the reproductive and child health programme under government’s National Health Mission. It is one of the largest public health programmes in the world under which vaccination is being provided free of cost to all pregnant women and children. At least 26 million children are born in India every year.
Under the programme, vaccination is provided against 12 preventable diseases. Nationally, it is given against 11 diseases that include diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, polio, measles, rubella, severe form of childhood tuberculosis, rotavirus diarrhoea, hepatitis B, meningitis and pneumonia caused by haemophilus influenza type B, and pneumococcal pneumonia. Sub-nationally, it is given against Japanese encephalitis in endemic districts.
