The two-day dry run for coronavirus vaccine program kicks off today in four states – Andhra Pradesh, Punjab, Gujarat and Assam. The program will be carried out in the chosen districts in each state. As a part of the program, the focus will remain on management of possible adverse events after immunization, and dry runs that include checks on cold storage and transportation arrangements. The four states will report their observations to the centre recorded during the program.

The government plans to cover 30 crore people in the first phase when it rolls out vaccine for coronavirus. To achieve this, nearly 2,360 training sessions have been held so far, and 7,000 officials have been trained, including medical officers and vaccinators.

Five sessions will be held across four states at identified locations with 25 test pre-identified beneficiaries, healthcare workers, for each session

Health Commissioner Katamaneni Bhaskar said that in Andhra Prades, the dry run taking place in Krishna district is aimed at testing the planned operations and the laid-out mechanisms in the state. “It will provide insights into any gaps or bottlenecks so that those could be addressed before the commencement of the actual drive,” he was quoted as saying by news
agency PTI.

Five sessions will be held across four states at identified locations with 25 test pre-identified beneficiaries, healthcare workers, for each session. The feasibility of Co-WIN will be assessed. Co-WIN is an electronic application that identifies beneficiaries and prerequisites for vaccine introduction as per operational guidelines.

An Adverse Event Following Immunisation (AEFI) will be formed. Treatment centres will also be identified if the vaccine triggers an adverse response in any of the beneficiaries.