A health worker engages in a COVID-19 vaccine delivery system trial in New Delhi, India. Altaf Qadri/AP

Gulf Today Report

India began a massive nationwide one-day exercise for the trial run of coronavirus vaccination in the country as the drug regulator prepared to approve the first vaccine, according to the health ministry.

All states are participating in the exercise for gearing up for the roll out of COVID-19 vaccine across the country, said officials.

The massive exercise came a day after a government-appointed panel of experts held a meeting to review the applications of potential vaccine candidates, including front-runner Covishield, developed by Oxford University and UK-based drugmaker AstraZeneca.

A health worker speaks with people participating in vaccine trial in New Delhi. AP

"The objective of the Dry Run for COVID-19 vaccine introduction is to assess operational feasibility in the use of Co-WIN application [a digital platform to help effective vaccine distribution] in the field environment, to test the linkages between planning and implementation and to identify the challenges and guide way forward prior to actual implementation," said a statement by the ministry, adding: "This is also expected to give confidence to program managers at various levels."

Country's Health Minister Harsh Vardhan on Saturday morning visited a hospital in the capital New Delhi to review the exercise. The government plans to inoculate 300 million people in the first phase of the vaccination program, which will include healthcare and front-line workers, police and military troops, and those with comorbidities who are above the age of 50.

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Responding to a question, Vardhan later told the media that the vaccine will be free of cost across the country. Today's trial run has come after the first round of trial runs in four Indian states.

According to the health ministry, around 96,000 health personnel, including 2,360 at the national level and over 57,000 at the district level, have been trained for this purpose. India is close to approving the vaccine, while the number of daily cases has recently been dropping.

Pooja Moriya, a health worker in the capital who will be one of the first to be inoculated, said hospital staff has had several meetings about the vaccine and how it works. “Our seniors have told us to not be scared at all,” Moriya said.