COVID-19 vaccination: Platforms that will help find vaccine centres with available slots

Waiting to get vaccinated for the deadly COVID-19 virus but unable to secure a slot for free or paid vaccinations on the dedicated CoWIN portal and the Aarogya Setu application? Don't worry, because we bring before you some options that could help to find a vaccination centre with available vaccine slots.

However, keep one thing in mind. The third-party platforms can only help in finding a vaccine centre with available slots but the booking continues to happen via the CoWIN portal. 

No matter what apps or websites users use, the CoWIN website and app for Android users remain the sole portal to book the COVID-19 vaccine slot online. The CoWIN platform provides the most traditional way of looking for the availability of slots, that is, by individually entering different pin codes. 

To access the portal, citizens above 18 years of age can check out the CoWIN Android app and website or the integrated service within the Aarogya Setu app for Android, KaiOS, and iOS.

However, here are some tools or third-party platforms you might want to check, that will help you get the COVID-19 vaccine centre with available slots around your area.

Third-party platforms 

An internet platform named Under45.in, developed by a Chennai-based man, provides district-wise updates on vacant vaccine slots via Telegram channels.

Digital payments platform Paytm recently announced the launch of 'COVID-19 Vaccine Finder', an integrated platform to help citizens check the availability of vaccination slots via its inbuilt Mini App store.

VaccinateMe by fitness app HealthifyMe is another tool that is simple to use. You can enter pin code or district to find centres with available slots. Moreover, the platform will notify the users when a slot opens up via SMS, email, or WhatsApp in the case of unavailability.

The subscribers of the 'My Government Corona Helpdesk' bot can get WhatsApp updates on vaccine centres nearest to their location. Users have to save the number 9013151515 on their Android or iOS smartphone. User can also use the chatbot via WhatsApp Desktop or Web by clicking on the link - wa.me/919013151515.

Getjab.in is another interesting platform that notifies users via email when there's an availability of the COVID-19 vaccine slot. The site is run by ISB alumni Shyam Sunder and colleagues, and it requires information such as name, email, location, and optional phone number. It sends alerts via email.