Covid Vaccine dry run: This year’s biggest fear originating from Covid-19 may finally be shot down as vaccination drive is being planned across the nation. To begin with, the central government has chosen Punjab to be the first state to try the Covid-19 vaccine dry run. It will be done on December 28th and December 29th.

What is a dry run for Covid-19?

The dry run of the vaccination is aimed at testing the laid out mechanisms for the health system. The dry run will also offer insights on any gaps or bottlenecks so that it could be addressed before the commencement of full fledged Covid-19 inoculation drive.

In that respect, the government has identified five sites each in Ludhiana and Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar districts where dry run for Corona vaccination will happen.

"The districts of Ludhiana and Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar have been selected for the dry run," said state Health Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu informed about the update.

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Ideally, during the dry run vaccinators and the support staff are taught about the different kinds of vaccines, how to administer them, how to ensure that the cold chain is maintained, what kind of adverse reactions might happen and what to do to combat these reactions.

Who’s aiding the immunisation drive?

The process will be supported by immunization partners United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the World Health Organisation (WHO). All activities, including beneficiary data upload, session site allocation (micro-planning), session site management (with test beneficiaries) to reporting and evening debriefing, will be covered during the drive.

The entire process will be supported by Co-WIN, an electronic application and immunisation partners the UNDP and the WHO at state-level would support the dry run.

Which other states to undergo dry run?

With a population of 1.3 billion (and 94 million over 65-year-olds), the domestic vaccination drive will be the largest in the world, said Fitch.

In this respect, the government has already started the groundwork for implementing the vaccination programme against Covid-19. The dry run for Covid-19 vaccine will be conducted in three other states besides Punjab - Andhra Pradesh, Assam and Gujarat.

As per the rating agency, India is one one of the largest vaccine manufacturing capacities in the world (including the largest vaccine producer - Serum Institute India) and has secured authorisation to mass-produce the AstraZeneca, Novavax, and Gamaleya Research Institute vaccines.

The key parameters of the vaccination programme will include planning the procedures as per internationally described guidelines, creation of facilities, site creation and mapping of sites, beneficiary data of Co-WIN, deployment of team members, mock drills and review meetings.

How states are gearing up with the immunisation drive

Delhi: The Delhi government is training around 3,800 people — including 600 doctors from the private sector — for the Covid-19 vaccination drive.

Tamil Nadu: Around 21,000 people have been getting trained and 46,000 centres have been identified for the rollout of immunisation programme after the vaccine is made available.

Haryana: The Manohar Lal Khattar-led government in Haryana has stepped up preparations for the Covid-19 vaccination drive by starting the registration of those who will be administered shots in the first phase, as per news agency PTI.