You can now book Covid vaccination slot on WhatsApp; here's how

The Ministry of Health and MyGov announced on Tuesday that beneficiaries can now book their vaccine appointments as well as locate their nearest vaccination centres through the MyGov Corona Helpdesk on WhatsApp. All they need to do is simply send ‘Book Slot’ to WhatsApp number +91 9013151515. This will make it easier for scores of beneficiaries who are not accustomed to using the online mode to book vaccine slots.

It must be mentioned here that the MyGov Corona Helpdesk has been functional on WhatsApp since March last year. It is powered by Haptik’s AI solutions and supported by Turn.io. The helpdesk has been at the forefront of COVID-related information dissemination for over 41 million users. Earlier this month, MyGov and WhatsApp furthered the scope and enabled users to download vaccine certificates from the chatbot. So far 32 lakh certificates have been downloaded.

Abhishek Singh, CEO MyGov said, “It is a testament to the fact that when the right platform and technology are integrated, the results are immensely beneficial. Since its launch, MyGov Corona Helpdesk, enabled with support from Haptik and Turn.io, has evolved into a go-to platform that is not only helping citizens with authentic Corona-related information but is now also aiding them in the process of vaccine booking as also finding vaccination centers and slots and downloading vaccination certificates.”

Director of Public Policy at WhatsApp, Shivnath Thukral, said, “Whether it's about providing authentic Covid-related information or enabling vaccine-certificate downloads or, now, about accelerating and easing the process of vaccination bookings for people, our collaboration has unlocked technology’s potential to extend benefits to citizens at scale.”

HOW TO BOOK SLOT ON MYGOV CORONA HELPDESK ON WHATSAPP

Here’s how one can book COVID-19 vaccine slots on the helpdesk:

• First, save the WhatsApp number +91 9013151515 on your phone
• Once it shows on WhatsApp, sent ‘Book Slot’ on the number
• When done, a 6-digit one-time password will generate on the mobile number
• Choose your preferred date and location
• Users will then get the confirmation of their centre and date

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