92% faced difficulty in registering for vaccination via Co-WIN

New Delhi: Only 8 per cent of those who tried to get the Covid vaccine appointment on Co-WIN site or app were able to do so, as per a Local Circles survey.

The first question in the poll asked citizens “How did you or your family’s registration with Co-WIN site/app for Covid vaccination work?” 13 per cent said “failed to access the site/app”, 50 per cent said “OTP/SMS registration didn’t work”, 29 per cent said “registration worked but no appointments were showing”.

Notably, only 8 per cent of citizens said they “were able to book the appointments successfully”. The aggregate responses of citizens in the poll indicated that 92 per cent of citizens faced issues with Co-WIN website or app for registering to avail of the vaccine, on the first day of the second round of vaccination drive that commenced on March 1.

The survey results indicate that 64 per cent citizens are ready to have their qualifying family members get the vaccine, either at a government or private hospitals. This means that in the aftermath of 45 days since the inoculation drive began, the percentage of citizens willing to take the vaccine goes up from 38 per cent to 64 per cent, and only 36 per cent citizens are now hesitant to take it.

With the Prime Minister taking the jab and Covid-19 vaccination commencing at private hospitals, vaccine hesitancy drops to 36 per cent.

However, the worrying factor is that of glitches being reported on Co-WIN website and mobile application at the time of registration to avail of the vaccine for the qualified members. As indicated by the poll, 92 per cent of those who tried to get the Covid-19 vaccine appointment on Co-WIN site or app could not do so.

Of which, 50 per cent faced OTP/SMS registration issue, 13 per cent failed to access the site/app, and although registration for 29 per cent of citizens worked but could not fix any appointments.

Citizens have cited these issues with Co-WIN website or application as major deterrent to avail of the facility and some have compared it to IRCTC Tatkal Ticket booking in its early days.

The survey found that 45 days after the vaccination roll out, only 36 per cent citizens are now hesitant to take it.

The last LocalCircles vaccine hesitancy survey released on February 19, 2021, indicated that 50 per cent of citizens were still hesitant to Covid-19 vaccine immediately. As more people started to take the jab, amid the decline in the coronavirus caseloads, hesitancy amongst citizens has reduced to some degree. This week, the percentage of hesitant citizens stands at 36 per cent.

The percentage of citizens hesitant to take the vaccine was 62 per cent at the end of the second week when vaccination began to 60 per cent in the third week of January 2021. The hesitancy level then dropped to 58 per cent in the first week of February 2021 to 50 per cent in the second week and this week too. This means that vaccine hesitancy amongst citizens in the aftermath of 45 days after Covid-19 vaccination began, only 36 per cent citizens are now hesitant to take it.

Percentage of citizens willing to take the Covid-19 vaccine has gone up from 38 per cent to 64 per cent in just 45 days. Alternatively, if one were to look at the percentage of citizens willing to take the vaccine, the number now stands at 64 per cent.

The percentage of citizens willing to take the vaccine rose to 38 per cent at the end of the second week of January 2021 to 40 per cent in the third week of January 2021. It then rose to 42 per cent in the first week of February to 50 per cent in the second week, and is at 64 per cent this week.

The findings indicate that the percentage of citizens willing to take the Covid-19 vaccine goes up from 38 per cent to 64 per cent in just 45 days since the vaccination drive began in India.

(IANS)