New Delhi: A dry run to prepare for the rollout of COVID-vaccine is being conducted by all the states and Union Territories today. The objective of the dry run for COVID-19 vaccine introduction is to "assess operational feasibility in the use of COVID Vaccine Intelligence Network (Co-WIN) application in field environment, to test the linkages between planning and implementation and to identify the challenges and guide way forward prior to actual implementation," according to a statement by the Union Health Ministry. This is also expected to give confidence to programme managers at various levels, it said.
Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan reviewed the dry run exercise in a Delhi hospital and said there should be no misconceptions about the safety of the coronavirus vaccine that India plans to use as "everything has been checked in detail".
"There should be no rumours about the vaccine's safety...Everything has been checked in detail. Initially when the polio vaccine was rolled out, even then rumours had floated. But once it went on the floor, all people were assured about the safety," he said..
Dr Harsh Vardhan had on Friday chaired a high-level meeting to review preparedness at session sites across the country for COVID-19 vaccination trial run on Saturday and said just like preparations during elections, each member of medical teams should be trained responsibly.
The minister urged every official to ensure that the vaccination sites and officials in-charge abide by the detailed checklist and Standard Operating Protocols (SOPs) for vaccination that has been prepared by the Union Health Ministry.
Today's exercise is the second dry run being conducted in the country - the first was on December 28 and 29 in Assam, Andhra Pradesh, Punjab and Gujarat.
Here are the live updates on Covid Vaccine Dry Run:
Jan 02, 2021 14:55 (IST)
Dry run for COVID-19 vaccination begins in Kolkata
A dry run of the COVID-19 vaccination programme is being conducted at Primary Healthcare Centre under Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation in Kolkata on Saturday.
A dry run is being conducted across all states and Union Territories today.
The activity is proposed to be conducted in all state capitals in at least three session sites.
Some states will also include districts that are situated in difficult terrain/have poor logistical support.
Maharashtra and Kerala are likely to schedule the dry run in major cities other than their capital cities.
Jan 02, 2021 11:45 (IST)
Main intention of dry run is to check loopholes in the process, says Karnataka medical officer
"The main intention of the the dry run is to check if there is any loopholes in the process. We have listed 25 beneficiaries here. They will get an ID proof and be checked by security followed by a software based registration process. Just like in elections, a person's identity will be verified. Once checked, a person will go to the vaccination room, " said Dr Madhusudhan, a Karnataka medical officer.
Jan 02, 2021 11:36 (IST)
COVID-19 vaccination dry run at 3 sites in Bhopal
Dry run for Covid-19 mass vaccination has started at three places in Bhopal. 25 people each will be part of the dummy run at Gandhi Nagar community health centre (CHC), Govindpura CHC and LN Hospital. Vaccines dispatched to the three centres from JP Hospital in Bhopal at 8 AM, and dummy vaccination started at 9 AM. Each centre will have three rooms - one for the patients to await their turn, a vaccination chamber, and one for post-injection monitoring.
Jan 02, 2021 10:50 (IST)
"Beneficiaries will be given all information regarding vaccine before it's administered": Delhi hospital vaccination officer
"Beneficiaries will be given all information regarding the vaccine before it is administered. If any person shows serious reaction to vaccine, they can be shifted to casualty ward of the hospital. All beneficiaries registered through CoWIN," said Vaccination Officer, GTB Hospital, Delhi
Jan 02, 2021 10:41 (IST)
Health Minister on COVID-19 vaccination dry run
"Feedbacks received after the dry run in 4 states were included in guidelines for vaccination & today's dry run in all states and Union Territories is being conducted as per new guidelines. Except for giving actual vaccine, every procedure is being followed during the drill," said Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan.
Jan 02, 2021 10:28 (IST)
Health Minister Harsh Vardhan visits Delhi's GTB hospital to review dry run drill
Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan visited Guru Teg Bahadur (GTB) hospital in Delhi on Saturday to review the dry run of administering the COVID-19 vaccine.
The dry run is being conducted by all the States and Union Territories governments today.
According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), the objective of the dry run for COVID-19 vaccine introduction is to "assess operational feasibility in the use of COVID Vaccine Intelligence Network (Co-WIN) application in a field environment, to test the linkages between planning and implementation and to identify the challenges and guide the way forward prior to actual implementation".
Jan 02, 2021 10:23 (IST)
Paid utmost care about safety and efficacy, said Union Health Minister on COVID-19 vaccine
"There should be no rumours about the vaccine safety. Under PM Modi's leadership we have paid utmost care about the safety and efficacy of the vaccine. There should be no misconceptions about the safety of the vaccine. Everything has been checked in detail. Initially, when the Polio vaccine was rolled out, even then rumours had floated, But once it went on floors, all people were assured about the safety," said Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan.
