COVID Vaccine Intelligence Network (Co-WIN) and CoWin-20

The Government of India recently announced that people can self-register for COVID-19 vaccine through the new mobile application called Co-WIN. This was announced along with the recently issued Guidelines for COVID-19 Vaccination.

What is Co-WIN?

COVID Vaccine Intelligence Network (Co-WIN) is the digital platform for Covid-19 Vaccination Delivery programme, developed by the Indian Government. As per the COVID-operational guidelines released by the Health Ministry, the COVID Vaccine Intelligence Network (Co-WIN) system will be used to track the enlisted beneficiaries and the COVID-19 vaccines on a real-time basis.

The Co-WIN application will have separate modules. They are administrator module, vaccination module, beneficiary acknowledgement module, registration module and report module. As people register with the app, it will upload bulk data from these modules. This will help in the process of forming database of health care workers and other vaccination plans.

What is Co-WIN-20?

‘CoWin-20’ is also a mobile application being developed, to record vaccine data, to form database of healthcare workers and for registration for Covid-19 vaccine. The CoWin-20 app will also send real-time data from the cold-storage facilities that store Covid-19 vaccines.

What is eVIN?

• eVIN is similar to that of Co-WIN. eVIN is Electronic Vaccine Intelligence Network (eVIN) system and was launched earlier. The Co-WIN is an extension of eVIN.
• eVIN was launched in 2015 to support vaccine logistics management at cold chain points. It provides real time information about vaccine stocks and flows.
• eVIN supports Universal Immunization Programme of Government of India. eVIN will help to digitise COVID-19 vaccine stocks. It will monitor the temperature of the cold chain through smartphone applications.
• The Government of India is to use eVIN along with the United Nations Development Programme to identify vaccine distribution networks and primary beneficiaries.

The vaccine introduction to the states and union territories are to be done by the National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration for COVID-19 called the NEGCAC.

Month: Current Affairs - December, 2020