Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 2 (IANS): The dry run for Covid immunization process is underway in Thiruvananthapuram, Idukki, Palakkad and Wayanad districts of Kerala as part of the nation-wide exercise.

There are six centres altogether in these four districts -- Thiruvananthapuram has three and the other districts one each.

In Thiruvananthapuram, the Primary Health Centre at Poozhanadu, district hospital at Peroorkada and KIMS hospital from the private sector are the three centres.

Dry run was also underway at Community Health Centre at Nenmara in Palakkad district; and Primary Health Centres at Kurukkanmoola in Wayanad and at Vazhathope in Idukki district.

At each centre, 25 health workers are participating in the procedure of vaccine administration to mimic the actual scenario.

The database will be collected in a digital platform called Covid Vaccine Intelligence Network (CoVIN).

State health minister K.K. Shailaja told the media at the Peroorkada that "the dry run is exactly a mock run of how the vaccine is to be taken and what all measures are to be taken before and after the shot is administered".

She also said that the distribution and cold storage system in the state is in place and added, "We are expecting a communique from the union government on the distribution of vaccines within a couple of days.

"Once the announcement is done and vaccines are made available, the state is ready to conduct the vaccinations".

The minister also said that the state was fully prepared for the actual vaccine distribution as it has recently received 20 large ice-lined refrigerators, 1,800 vaccine carriers, 100 cold boxes and 12,000 ice packs.

The department will also get 14 lakh syringes of single use nature.

Thiruvananthapuram District Collector Navjot Khosa, Vattiyoorkavu MLA V.K. Prasanth and a battery of senior health officials were present at the Peroorkada district hospital.