Corona Vaccine Dry Run HIGHLIGHTS: CM Yogi Adityanath Says 'Covid-19 Vaccine Will Be Available In UP Near Makar Sankranti'
All states and Union Territories have begun conducting a dry run for Covid-19 vaccination. The activity is being conducted in all state capitals in at least 3 session sites. Check here for HIGHLIGHTS
Background
As the country awaits the Coronavirus vaccine, India begins a mock drill of the Covid-19 vaccination drive across all states and Union Territories on Saturday. The drive will assess its ability and readiness to administer shots to hundreds of millions of people by testing the preparedness for the vaccine rollout.
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.
Health Minister inspects dry run for vaccination
Health Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan inspected the sites in Delhi where the mock drill of Coronavirus vaccine is to be conducted. Dr Harsh Vardhan spoke to the media and said, " I appeal to people not to pay heed to rumours. Ensuring safety and efficacy of vaccine is our priority. Different kinds of rumours were spread during polio immunisation but people took the vaccine and India is now polio-free. Feedbacks received after the dry run in four states were included in guidelines for vaccination and today's dry run in all states/UTs is being conducted as per new guidelines. Except for giving actual vaccine, every procedure is being followed during the drill: Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan on COVID-19 vaccine.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday said Covid-19 vaccine will be available in the state close to ‘Makar Sankranti’. The Hindu festival is celebrated on January 14.
While laying the foundation stone of Advocate’s Building at the collectorate campus today, CM Yogi said "We initiated the campaign against Covid-19 in March 2020 under Prime Minister Narendra Modi and at the beginning of this year we could say firmly that the dry run of the vaccine will be held on January 5 across the state and the vaccine will be available near around Makar Sankranti."
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