Here’s everything you need to know about the exercise:

1. The drive is done to test the operational feasibility in the use of COVID Vaccine Intelligence Network (COWIN App) in a field environment, to test the linkages between planning and implementation and to identify the challenges and guide way forward prior to actual implementation

2. During this process, 25 health workers will receive dummy vaccines to test the mechanisms and reveal the shortcomings before the actual vaccination drive.

3. Tamil Nadu’s dry run is happening in three districts –Chennai, Nilgiris and Tirunelveli.

4. The run will test the vaccine delivery system and other logistics before the roll out of actual of immunisation drive. Health secretary J Radhakrishnan was present at Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital on Saturday morning to kick off the exercise.

5. India is currently awaiting vaccination for COVID-19 and once DGCI approves a vaccine, the vaccination process will begin. Serum Institute of India (SII) is making the vaccine Covishield developed by Oxford University and pharma major AstraZeneca, while Bharat Biotech has partnered with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) for its Covaxin.