WhatsApp now allows you to locate your nearest vaccination centre and book a vaccine slot. Users across the country can now use the government’s MyGov Corona Helpdesk chatbot book vaccination slot by simply sending ‘Book Slot’ to WhatsApp number 9013151515.
The messaging service has partnered with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) to enable users to book vaccination appointments through its platform, CEO Will Cathcart tweeted.
“Paving a new era of citizen convenience. Now, book #COVID19 vaccine slots easily on your phone within minutes,” Health Minister Mansukh Madaviya said in a statement.
It also recently added a feature to enable users to download their vaccination certificate from WhatsApp.
MoHFW continues to extend slot booking and certificate download support on the Co-WIN portal or the Aarogya Setu and Umang mobile app.
“WhatsApp is very proud of this innovative approach to benefit citizens with different technological solutions,” Shivnath Thukral, public policy director at WhatsApp tweeted.
Here are the steps:
Step 1: Users need to save the 9013151515 WhatsApp number on their phones.
Step 2: Type “Book Slot” and send it to this number on WhatsApp. This will generate a 6-digit one-time password on the respective mobile phone number. You will then be required to send that OTP on the chat.
Step 3: Once you enter the OTP, the bot will display the names of individuals that are registered on the CoWIN website with the number.
Step 4: You now need to type the number of the user for whom you want to book a vaccination slot. The bot will then display your previous vaccination details.
Step 5: Now tap on “Search by Pincode.” The bot will then ask you whether you want to pay for vaccination or want it for free.
Step 6: You now need to enter your area’s pin code. Users can then choose a preferred date and location, based on the pincode and vaccine type.
