Our country is currently going through a tough phase and a lot of people are losing their lives due to the COVID-19 virus. There are strict travel restrictions across the country, and there is also a shortage of beds and oxygen in the hospital.
The Government of India recently opened COVID-19 vaccination across the country for the age group of 18 to 44. This means, most adults will be eligible to receive either a free or a paid jab, depending on what they choose. However, the major issue here is that there is only a limited amount of vaccine available, thus one might have to wait as long as three to four months to get vaccinated.
One has to register for the COVID-19 vaccination via the CoWIN app/website and book a slot to receive the vaccine. Due to the limited availability of the vaccine, all slots are getting filled as soon as they go live. A few engineers are now writing a script to learn about these slots, which gives them an edge in booking a slot for COVID-19 vaccination.
Is writing a code to book coronavirus vaccination a moral thing? What about those who can't do the same or who don't have any friends who can't write a code. More than that, what about those, who don't have access to a computer or the internet?
Considering the current scenario, it looks like the people who are doing are being both rational and irrational. For one, they just want to be on the safer side and get the COVID-19 jab as early as possible. On the other hand, they are leaving no opportunity for the non-geek people to get the vaccine.
The most worrying thing about this is the fact that most of these scripters are working home from, ordering food online, and being on the safer side. While the poor people, who work for daily wages are more exposed to the infection, but they won't be able to get the vaccine anytime soon, given the population of India.
Though we blame the scripters for a bit, we should also blame the Government for not planning the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine properly. Will you get a vaccine even if you have to use a script to get ahead of the queue? Just searching the term CoWIN script on Twitter will give you more information on this.
CoWIN website/app scripting links on Twitter