Dry run for COVID-19 vaccine rollout in all 75 districts of UP today

Dry run for COVID-19 vaccine rollout will be held in all 75 districts of UP today. The dry run will begin at 10 AM in all districts of UP.

NEW DELHI: As the country gears up for the Covid-19 vaccine roll-out, the dry run for the same will be conducted in all 75 districts of UP on Tuesday (January 5, 2020). According to Amit Mohan Prasad, Additional Chief Secretary, UP government, the dry run will begin at 10 AM.

“It'll help us to identify gaps in preparation & take corrective steps so that everything is conducted smoothly when actual vaccination is done,” Amit Mohan Prasad told ANI.

Dry run for #COVID19 vaccine rollout in all 75 districts of UP will begin at 10 am. It'll help us to identify gaps in preparation & take corrective steps so that everything is conducted smoothly when actual vaccination is done: Amit Mohan Prasad,Additional Chief Secretary(Health) pic.twitter.com/uwBxPskPoe — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) January 5, 2021

The state government is conducting dry runs to assess the preparedness for administering shots to millions of people. “This drive will be carried out in six sites in every district - three of them urban and three rural,” Additional Chief Secretary, Health, Amit Mohan Prasad had said on Monday, according to a tweet posted by the Government of UP.

वैक्सीनेशन की तैयारियों को लेकर लखनऊ के 06 स्थानों पर ड्राई रन चलाया गया। इसके बाद पूरे प्रदेश में 05 जनवरी से ड्राई रन चलाया जाएगा: ACS, चिकित्सा एवं स्वास्थ्य, श्री अमित मोहन प्रसाद जी@sanjaychapps1 @ShishirGoUP

— Government of UP (@UPGovt) January 4, 2021

The state government has also released detailed guidelines for the dry run which will start at 10 AM. 

The guidelines have been issued by Prasad which have directions for divisional commissioners and district magistrates. They have been asked to make syringes, vaccines, AEFI (Adverse Event Following Immunization) kit and other logistics available at dry run sites.

The Centre has already successfully conducted a two-day pilot Covid-19 vaccination drive in eight districts in four states on December 28-29. These states are Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Gujarat and Punjab.

Around 1,50,000 vaccinators have been trained so far, covering over 700 districts across the country. The focus of the dry run being conducted in coordination with the Centre will be on the management of any possible AEFI. In addition, the states will also emphasise adherence and management of infection control practices at the session site, to prevent disease transmission.

India’s drugs regulator had on Sunday approved AstraZeneca’s Covid-19 vaccine Covishield, manufactured by the Serum Institute (SII), and indigenously developed Covaxin of Bharat Biotech for restricted emergency use in the country, paving the way for a massive inoculation drive.

The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) granted the approval on the basis of recommendations by a Covid-19 Subject Expert Committee of the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation.