CoWIN launches new facility: Know Your Customer’s/ Client’s Vaccination Status

Sept. 10: The Union Health Ministry on Friday informed that Co-WIN has developed a new API called ‘Know Your Customer’s/ Client’s Vaccination Status’, or KYC-VS, which will enable a verifying entity to know whether a person has been vaccinated against coronavirus or not. It is consent-based, privacy preserving and can be seamlessly integrated with any system.

To use this API, an individual needs to enter his/her mobile number and name. Thereafter, they will get an OTP which they have to enter. In return, Co-WIN will send a response to the verifying entity on the individual’s status of vaccination, which will be as follows:
— Person is not vaccinated
— Person is partially vaccinated
— Person is fully vaccinated

This response will be digitally signed and can be shared instantly with the verifying entity, the ministry said.

CoWIN launches new API: KYC-VS: Know Your Customer’s/Client’s Vaccination Status.

KYC-VS will enable entities to check an individual’s status of vaccination through CoWIN. pic.twitter.com/5usGhrUlxi

— Prasar Bharati News Services पी.बी.एन.एस. (@PBNS_India) September 10, 2021

To make this initiative more relatable the ministry gave an example wherein they said that while booking a railway ticket a person will add all the necessary details in order to get the ticket and if required then the concerned entity will pick the person’s vaccination status in the same transaction with due agreements of the person.

“Besides the use cases pointed out, this service may be utilised by any service provider, private or public, for whom verifying an individual’s vaccination status is critical for facilitating a service requested,” the statement said. India has registered over 72 crore vaccine doses since the vaccination drive was started on January 16, 2021.