People who participated in COVID-19 vaccine trials will be issued digital certificates through the Co-WIN portal, the Union health ministry said on 23 August.

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In a statement, the ministry said it received several requests from trial participants for issuing certificates through Co-WIN. "In a welcome initiative, digital #COVID19 vaccination certificates will now be issued to the clinical trial participants of COVISHIELD & COVAXIN through Co-WIN. The nation thanks them for their incredible commitment & contribution to COVID-19 vaccine research & treatment," Union Health Minister tweeted. "The participants can download their individual certificates through Co-WIN Portal, Aarogya Setu, Digilocker or the UMANG Application," he said.

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) in partnership with the Serum Institute of India (SII) had conducted phase II/III bridging studies of Covishield from August 2020. Phase III efficacy clinical trials for Covaxin were conducted by Bharat Biotech International Limited (BBIL) from November 2020. The ministry said it was decided that vaccination certificates may be issued to such participants who were administered the vaccines during these trials after the trials were unblinded.

The ICMR was designated as the nodal agency for the collection of vaccination data for such participants by the ministry. "The ICMR had provided the data for 11,349 such persons to the MoHFW. Digital vaccination certificates have now been issued through Co-WIN to such persons who participated in these studies/trials of Covishield and Covaxin," the statement said.