Want to know your clients' Covid vaccination status? CoWIN gives an option

CoWIN has launched a new application programme interface (API) called 'Know Your Customer's/Client's Vaccination Status', or KYC-VS, the Union health ministry said on Friday. This will enable entities to verify the vaccination status of individuals. This new feature is consent-based and privacy-preserving, the ministry added.

To avail this new feature, an individual will have to enter their mobile number and name after which they will have to input the one-time password (OTP) after they receive it. CoWIN will send a response to the verifying entity on the individual's status of vaccination, which will be as follows - 0 - Person is not vaccinated, 1 - Person is partially vaccinated, or 2 - Person is fully vaccinated.

CoWIN issues digital vaccination proofs for individuals, which can be saved on a digital device or stored in Digi Locker from where it can be digitally accessed and shared as and when required. With socio-economic activities resuming gradually all over the country there’s a need to convey the vaccination status of individuals seamlessly and digitally for the smooth operation of services, the ministry said in a press release.

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This KYC-VS feature can be used for booking train tickets, where the concerned entity booking the tickets can get access to the vaccination status of the individual with their consent, the ministry said. "Besides the use cases pointed out, this service may be utilized by any service provider, private or public, for whom verifying an individual's vaccination status is critical for facilitating a service requested," it said.

To facilitate seamless integration with any system in no time the CoWIN team has prepared a webpage with the API, which may be embedded in any system. This, they say, will facilitate quick integration and faster adoption.