Kerala to conduct dry run of Covid vaccination today

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The dry run of the Covid vaccine will be held in the state today. Three hospitals in Thiruvananthapuram and one each in Idukki, Wayanad, and Palakkad will host the dry runs.
The primary health centre at Poozhanadu and the district hospital at Peroorkada, besides a private hospital, are those selected in the capital. In Idukki, the primary health centre at Vazhathope will conduct the dry run while a community health centre at Nemmara in Palakkad and the primary health centre at Kurukkanmoola in Wayanad are the other chosen facilities.
Health minister K K Shailaja said the dry run will take place between 9 am and 11am. In each centre 25 trained healthcare workers will participate and all procedures that have to be carried out during actual vaccination will be enacted.
The dry run is done to understand how well trained and equipped the state is for Covid-19 vaccination.
“The state is all set for stocking, distributing and providing the vaccination,” said Minister Shailaja. “The cold chain management has been ensured in all 14 districts. But we are not sure when we will be getting the vaccines. As and when it reaches the state, we will start the process. The state has asked the centre to provide a major share of the vaccines as we have a high density of population and a very high aging population.”
To date, 3.1 lakh people have registered for Covid vaccination in the first phase. They include healthcare workers and medical students, besides ASHA and Anganwadi workers.
Testing rates slashed
Health minister K K Shailaja informed that the testing rates for Covid-19 has dropped further in the state. As per the new rates, the RT-PCR test will cost Rs 1,500, Xpert NAT test will cost Rs 2,500, TrueNAT test will cost Rs 1,500, RT-LAMP test will cost Rs 1,150 and rapid antigen test will cost Rs 300.