Booster dose in India: How to register, eligibility, cost and everything you need to know

In a massive development on Friday, the Centre has announced that all adults will now be eligible to receive the booster dose in India at private jab centres starting April 10. Till now, senior citizens above the age of 60 were eligible for the 'precautionary dose' or a booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. As per the Union Health Ministry, the ongoing free vaccination campaign through government vaccination Centres for the first and second dose as well as the booster dose to healthcare workers, frontline workers and the 60+ population would continue. 

How to register for the Booster dose in India?

• Open cowin.gov.in or in Aarogya Setu app, go to the CoWin tab and tap on the vaccination tab.
• Log in with the mobile number that you have used for registration earlier. If someone else has registered on your behalf, ask them for the One Time Password (OTP) when using that particular mobile number. One needs to remember that only up to 4 people can be registered using the same mobile number on the CoWin portal.
• Once you have logged in, you will likely see your name and profile. If you have not been vaccinated so far and are planning to get it done now, then you will need to register.
• For people who are fully vaccinated and eligible for Booster dose, the system will show the slots for Booster Dose in the Appointments Module.
• Tap on the ‘Precaution dose’ tab and then choose appointments.
• Choose the appointment based on your location, Pincode, etc and tap/click on Book appointment. The appointment should get confirmed and details can be downloaded from the app.

Who is eligible and what is the cost of Booster dose in India?

According to the statement by the Health Ministry, all those who are more than 18 years of age and have completed nine months after the administration of second dose, would be eligible for Booster/Precaution Dose. This facility would be available in all private vaccination centres. 

Vaccine majors Serum Institute of India (SII) and Bharat Biotech on Saturday said they have decided to cut prices of the precaution dose of their respective COVID-19 vaccines to Rs 225 per shot for private hospitals after discussion with the government. Covishield was earlier priced at Rs 600 and Coovaxin at Rs 1,200

Additionally, the Health Ministry also informed that so far, over 96% of all 15+ population in the country have received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose while about 83% of 15+ population has received both the doses. More than 2.4 crore Booster/Precaution Doses have also been administered to healthcare workers, frontline workers and 60+ population group. 45% of 12 to 14 years age group have also received the first dose.