CoWIN launches New API 'Know Your Customer's Vaccination Status': How it Works

CoWIN 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, the Union Health Ministry said on Friday. Over 72 crore vaccine doses have been administered since the vaccination campaign against COVID-19 was flagged off on January 16 this year in the country.

To provide proof of vaccination for each of these individuals, CoWIN is already issuing a digitally verifiable certificate. This certificate can be saved on a digital device (smartphone, tablet, laptop etc), or stored in Digi Locker from where it can be digitally shared as and when required as proof of vaccination, the ministry said in a statement. Similarly, at entry points where such certificate is required (e.g., in malls, office complexes, public events etc), it may be shown in both digital and physical forms. However, there may be instances where an entity does not need to see the certificate in full and would just need to know whether an individual has been vaccinated or not, the ministry said.

An enterprise/employer may like to know the vaccination status of its employees to resume functions in offices, workplaces etc, it added. The Railways may want to get the status of vaccination of the passengers who are getting their seats reserved in the trains. Airlines may want to get the status of vaccination of the passengers who are booking their flight tickets, and/or airports may only want to allow vaccinated passengers to pass through. Hotels may want to know the vaccination status of the residents at the time they are checking into the hotel, or at the time of making online bookings, it further said. “As the socio-economic activities are being gradually revived while maintaining everyone’s safety, there is a need for a way to digitally convey the status of individuals’ vaccination to entities with whom they may be engaging with for any or all reasons, as employees, passengers, residents etc.

“Therefore, there is a need to enable an Aadhaar like authentication service for the status of vaccination through CoWIN. To take care of these cases and others that may come up, CoWIN has developed a new API called ‘Know Your Customer’s/Client’s Vaccination Status’ or KYC-VS,” the ministry said in the statement. 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. The KYC-VS is consent-based and privacy preserving, it added. Additionally, in order to facilitate quick integration and faster adoption, the CoWIN  Team has prepared a webpage with the API, which may be embedded in any system. This will allow for a seamless integration with any system in no time, the statement said. 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, it said.

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