3rd dry run conducted at 4,895 sites, says ministry ahead of vaccine roll-out

“3rd countrywide massive dry run covers 4,895 session sites, 615 districts, 33 States/UTs,” the ministry said in a tweet.

The third dry run for India’s Covid-19 vaccination programme was conducted at 4,895 session sites spread across 615 districts in 33 states and Union territories on Friday, the Centre said on Saturday. “3rd countrywide massive dry run covers 4,895 session sites, 615 districts, 33 States/UTs,” the Union ministry of health and family welfare said in a tweet.

Union health minister Harsh Vardhan along with Tamil Nadu health secretary J. Radhakrishnan at a Covid-19 vaccine storage and distribution centre in Chennai, on Friday.(PTI)

Earlier, India had conducted two mass vaccination dry runs in the country. The first mock drill was conducted in four states namely Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Gujarat and Punjab for two days starting December 28, 2020. The second mock drill was conducted across all states and union territories in the country on January 2, 2021.

The nationwide dry run on January 2, 2021, was conducted in all states at 259 sites across 116 districts, according to the health ministry. The dry run also saw the active participation of the central health minister Dr Harsh Vardhan, who inspected and oversaw the dry run at one of the hospitals in Delhi, and the state health officials, in their respective states.

Dr Vardhan appealed to the people to shed their doubts about the safety and efficacy of the vaccines approved in India. He also asked the people to be “misguided by rumours” about the Covid-19 vaccines.