A total of 125 dummy beneficiaries in Andhra Pradesh’s Krishna district received a dummy COVID-19 vaccine on Monday as a dry-run for the vaccination was carried out in the state. Apart from Andhra Pradesh, the two-day dry-run is also being carried out in Punjab, Assam and Gujarat, as a preparatory step before the actual vaccine rollout. The mock drill is meant for testing for cold storage and transportation arrangements for the vaccine, managing crowds at the session sites with proper distancing, data entry into the COVID Vaccine Intelligence Network (CoWIN) app (the digital platform being used to monitor the vaccine rollout for pre-identified beneficiaries), and the management of any Adverse Events Following Immunisation (AEFI).
Preparations for the dry run
Krishna district was chosen in Andhra Pradesh for the dry run. Five session sites were set up in different settings (district hospitals, urban and rural areas, government and private facilities) — Vijayawada Government General Hospital, Uppuluru PHC (Primary Health Centre) in Kankipadu mandal, Purna Heart Institute in Vijayawada, Penamaluru PHC, and Prakash Nagar Urban PHC.
The logistics were also tested out, with the dummy vaccine transported on Sunday from Machilipatnam to the cold chain point in Vijayawada, before being used on Monday. The cold chain point is part of the cold chain system — a supply chain where the temperature of the vaccine is controlled throughout the stages of production, storage and distribution, to ensure the quality of the vaccine isn’t affected.
Training was conducted for the vaccination officers, and other administrators and health workers involved in the program, in the use of CoWIN app, registering the vaccine samples and people who received the dose, and other aspects of rollout.
How the dry run looked
At each of the five session sites, 25 beneficiaries appeared to receive the dummy vaccine within a two-hour time slot. At each site, three rooms were set up — for registration, vaccination and observation.
Five vaccination officers were present, whose work included matching the beneficiary’s name from the official list, verifying their name in the CoWIN app, administering the dummy vaccine, and reporting the vaccination in the CoWIN app. Vaccination officers were seen telling the dummy beneficiaries that the first dose alone is not enough for immunity, and that they would need to return after 28 days for the second dose.
After receiving the dummy vaccine, the dummy beneficiaries were made to wait in the observation room for 30 minutes.
A separate room with ten beds was also kept ready for medical services in case of any adverse events. Medical experts, including cardiologists, neurologists and general physicians were available on standby, to treat any adverse event following immunization (AEFI). An AEFI committee has been formed as per guidelines.
The activity at the five dry-run centres was captured on video, and an activity report will be sent to the State Task Force. The state will provide feedback to the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on any gaps in the operations, which will have to be addressed before the actual vaccination drive happens.