India is all set to begin the third phase of its vaccination drive against the coronavirus. Last week the Centre announced that COVID-19 vaccines will be available to everyone in the country above the age of 18 starting from May 1. Those eligible can now register themselves for the jab on the CoWIN portal or the Arogya Setu app (the Central government's contact tracing app) from 4 PM today.

The announcement of ramping up India's vaccination drive is a part of a "liberalized and accelerated Phase 3 strategy of COVID-19 vaccination" and arrives amidst the devastating second phase of the pandemic in India. Vaccinations will be rolled out as they did in the first and second phases initiated in January for health care workers and later in March and April for those above 45 years of age. So the vaccines are free of cost at government-run COVID-19 centers while private hospitals can sell at a "transparently declared" cost.

Those above 18 years of age can register for the COVID-19 vaccine starting 4 PM today (April 28).

Currently, India has two available vaccines Serum Institute's Covishield and Bharat Biotech's Covaxin. Meanwhile, the Russia-made vaccine Sputnik V has been approved for distribution. That being said, the best vaccine is the one that's available to you.

Here's how you can register on the CoWIN portal:

Visit the CoWIN website at - cowin.gov.in.
Enter your mobile number or Aadhaar number.
You will receive an OTP on your mobile number. Enter OTP and click on 'Verify'.
The registration page will appear. Enter your details (photo ID, name, gender, date of birth etc.) and click on 'Register'.
Schedule your appointment. Search for vaccination centre using your pin code.
Get your COVID-19 vaccination.
You will receive a reference ID through which you can get your vaccination certificate.
Here's how you can register on the Arogya Setu app:

Open the Arogya Setu app and click on the CoWIN tab on the home screen.
Click on 'Vaccination Registration’ page - enter your details (photo ID, name, gender, date of birth, etc.) and then click on 'Register'.
Once the registration is complete, you can schedule an appointment. Click on 'Schedule'.
Enter your pin code and click on 'Search' and nearby vaccination centers will appear.
Select your preferred date and time and click on 'Confirm'.