CoWIN has developed an Aadhaar-like authentication system for accessing the COVID-19 vaccination status of an individual. The new application programming interface (API) called 'Know Your Customer's/Client's Vaccination Status', or KYC-VS, will enable a verifying entity to know whether a person has been vaccinated against coronavirus or not.
The new CoWIN API will provide an extra security layer to protect personal data before sharing it with a third-party verifying entity as and when required.
To provide proof of vaccination for each of these individuals, the online Covid vaccine registration portal, CoWIN is already issuing a digitally verifiable certificate. The 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.
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. In that case, the KYC-VS will enable entites to check an individual's vaccination status via CoWIN.
CoWIN 'KYC-VS' API: Here's how it works
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, CoWIN will send a response to the verifying entity on the individual's status of vaccination, which will be as follows:
0 - Person is not vaccinated
1 - Person is partially vaccinated
2 - Person is fully vaccinated
This response will be digitally signed and can be shared instantly with the verifying entity, the Union Health Ministry said.
A real-life example could be when at the time of booking a railway ticket, an individual will input the necessary details for buying the ticket and if required, the concerned entity will also get the vaccination status in the same transaction, with the due consent of the individual.
The CoWIN KYC-VS is both consent-based and privacy-preserving. 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 seamless integration with any system in no time, the ministry said.
Besides the use cases pointed out, this service may be utilized by any service provider, private or public, to verify an individual’s vaccination status is critical for facilitating a service requested.
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