New Delhi, Aug 25 (IANS): The Union Health Minister announced on Tuesday that people can now book slots for Covid vaccination using the MyGov Corona Helpdesk on WhatsApp.

The messaging app has partnered with the Health Ministry to provide the users vaccination appointment through its platform. The app will also help the users locate the nearest vaccination centre.

Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya tweeted, "Paving a new era of citizen convenience. Now, book #COVID19 vaccine slots easily on your phone within minutes. Send 'Book Slot' to MyGovIndia Corona Helpdesk on WhatsApp. Verify OTP and follow the steps."

To contact the MyGov Corona Helpdesk chatbot, users need to send 'Book Slot' to the WhatsApp number 9013151515. This will generate a six-digit one-time password on the respective mobile number. Users will then choose a preferred date and location, based on the pincode and vaccine type. The users can follow this sequence to get a confirmation of their centre and day of their vaccine appointment.

Earlier on August 5, MyGov and WhatsApp had introduced the facility to download vaccine certificates from the messaging app and so far, over 32 lakh certificates have been downloaded by the users from across the country.

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare continues to extend slot booking and certificate download support on the Co-WIN portal, Aarogya Setu and Umang mobile app.