With the January goal of implementing the Covid-19 vaccination campaign in India, the Center will start operating in four states: Punjab, Assam, Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat, starting tomorrow. The exercise will continue for two days, December 28 and 29, in two districts each. There will be no vaccine involved in the process, which will only verify the viability of the plan that involves real-time monitoring through the Co-WIN application.
Although India has not accepted any vaccine for emergency use, the Oxford-Astrazeneca vaccine, tested and manufactured in India by the Serum Institute, is the favorite. Once the UK medicines regulator gives its approval to the vaccine, the Central Organization for Standard Medicines Control is likely to hold a meeting where details will be reviewed and approval given after evaluation.
For Covid-19 vaccination, 2,360 participants were trained during a nationwide training of state immunization officers, cold chain officers, information, education and communication officers, and development partners.
This is how the trial will be conducted
1. It will be a drill. Everything will be tested except the administration of vaccines. Data will be sent to the Co-WIN app, cold storage will be tested, vaccine transport from cold storage to sites and crowd management at sites will be checked.
2. For vaccination, as many sites as possible will be used. Therefore, the drills will also take place in all different settings: district hospitals, community health centers or primary health care centers, urban sites, private health facilities, and rural outreach.
3. The objective of the exercise is to identify the challenges and make the necessary changes to the plan so that the final process is foolproof.
4. Program managers will get hands-on experience of how everything will unfold at various levels.
5. The drill will include simultaneous monitoring and review at the block and district level, and preparation of comments to share with the state and the Center.
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