Around 1.7 lakh vaccinators ready for COVID-19 mock drill

New Delhi: After two COVID vaccines were given emergency use authorization by the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) recently, the roll-out of the COVID-19 vaccine is expected to begin soon. This milestone entails the need for testing of all planned mechanisms for conducting the vaccination drive in the country.

Gearing up for the roll-out of the COVID-19 vaccine across the country, the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare has been proactively carrying out the preparations for the roll-out of the COVID-19 vaccine, in collaboration with all stakeholders to ensure that the preparations for the roll-out of COVID-19 vaccine are on track.

As a simulation of actual execution, another round of dry run/mock drill in all 700+ districts of all States/UTs is planned on 8th January 2021 to ensure efficient planning and management for vaccine delivery in each district of all States/UTs. Each district will identify three types of session sites, similar to the previous dry run including a public health facility (District Hospital/Medical College), private health facility and rural or urban outreach sites.

To facilitate the entire vaccination process, a software, ‘Co-WIN’, has been developed by the Health Ministry for real-time information of vaccine stocks, their storage temperature, and individualized tracking of beneficiaries for COVID-19 vaccine. This software will assist the program managers across all levels in the conduct of the vaccination sessions. A dedicated 24×7 call center has also been established for technical queries of Co-WIN users. The cold chain infrastructure (like walk-in-freezers, walk-in-coolers, ice-lined refrigerators, deep freezers) along with sufficient supplies of syringes and other logistics have been ensured to begin the COVID-19 vaccination drive.

Around 1.7 lakh vaccinators and 3 lakh vaccination team members have been trained on the process to be followed at the vaccination sites which include beneficiary verification, vaccination, cold chain & logistics management, bio-medical waste management, AEFI management, and reporting on Co-WIN software.

Health Ministry will be in constant touch with the States/UTs throughout the day to seek feedback and provide support and, ensure timely resolution of the identified challenges before the actual vaccination roll-out.