Booking vaccination slots for covid-19 will be much easier now as the government partnered with the messaging app WhatsApp, which Facebook owns. Through the agreement, eligible individuals will be able to schedule a vaccination dosage over the phone.
Tweets by the officials
“Paving a new era of citizen convenience. Now, book COVID-19 vaccine slots easily on your phone within minutes,” wrote Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya in a tweet on Tuesday.
“Today we’re partnering with @MoHFW_INDIA and @mygovindia to enable people to make their vaccine appointments via WhatsApp. Spread the word,” tweeted Cathcart, the chief executive officer (CEO) of WhatsApp.
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Other information related to the vaccination process
Vaccinated people can download their vaccine certificates through the same mechanism besides booking slots, Cathcart said, adding that over three million Indians have already been on their way to get benefited by the service.
On August 5, MyGov and WhatsApp enabled consumers to get vaccination certificates from the chatbot. As per the report, more than 32 lakh certificates have been downloaded by users across India.
“The new tie-up will enable digital inclusion since WhatsApp is much easier to navigate, and thanked the messaging app for creating the chatbot to help facilitate citizen’s access to vaccination.”, Said MyGov CEO Abhishek Singh.
“MyGov Corona Helpdesk is now also aiding in the process of vaccine booking and finding vaccination centres and slots and downloading vaccination certificates. It is enabling digital inclusion in the true sense as most people find the AI-based interface enabled on WhatsApp easier to navigate,” quoted Singh, the head of the government’s Digital India Corporation (DIC).
“We are thankful to WhatsApp for their continued support in helping us unlock the true potential of this chatbot for citizen help and engagement throughout the trying times of the pandemic.”
How to book a slot?
In order to book slots on WhatsApp, one needs to follow these steps-
1.Save MyGov Corona Helpdesk number (9013151515) in your contacts
2. Send ‘Book Slot’ request to this number on WhatsApp
3. Enter 6-digit OTP that will be received through SMS
4.Choose the preferred date, location, pin code, and vaccine type in the chat
5.Get confirmation and visit the vaccination centre on the day of the appointment
