A new 'dawn': Serum COVID-19 vaccine shipment to start on Tue

Stocks of Oxford COVID-19 vaccine,Covishield, are likely to start moving out of Serum Instituteof India's facility here on early Tuesday morning, days aheadof the nationwide inoculation drive, marking India's entryinto a decisive phase against the anti-coronavirus fight.

A source closely involved in logistical arrangementssaid the movement of vaccine doses is likely to start fromearly Tuesday morning through road and air routes amidelaborate police security.

''Some consignments will go by roadways and some willgo by air,'' said the source.

Trucks belonging to Kool-ex Cold Chain Ltd, which willbe ferrying vaccine stocks, reached Serum Institute of India's(SII) Manjari facility on Monday evening, where loading ofdoses will take place, he said.

Covishield is co-developed by the University of Oxfordand British-Swedish company AstraZeneca in collaboration withthe Pune-based SII.

Among the first batch, one consignment is scheduled tobe shipped by an Air India cargo flight to Ahmedabad.

''In the consignment there are 23 pieces weighing 736kg which will be sent by air cargo,'' said a source from theairline.

On Monday, Gujarat deputy chief minister Nitin Pateltweeted that his state will receive the first consignment ofcoronavirus vaccine on Tuesday at 10.45 am at the SardarVallabhbhai Patel Airport in Ahmedabad.

Earlier in the day, the Union government placed apurchase order with Serum Institute of India (SII) for 11million doses of Covishield, each costing Rs 210, includingGST, official sources said in New Delhi.

Covishield vaccine doses would be initially shipped to60 consignee points from where those would be distributed tovarious vaccination centres across India, the sources said.

The Maharashtra government has already decided toprovide police security to trucks carrying vaccine doses up toairports and the state's borders.

''Kool-ex Cold Chain is the lead vendor for themovement of the vaccine from the SII factory to over 50primary government locations (depots) in the first leg,'' thecompany's co-founder, Rahul Agarwal, had said on Sunday.

He had said about 300 GPS-fitted trucks will be usedfor shipping consignments and if needed 500 more will be ropedin for the task.

The country will launch its COVID-19 vaccination drivefrom January 16 in what Prime Minister Narendra Modi hascalled the world's largest inoculation programme with priorityto be given to nearly three crore healthcare and frontlineworkers.

India had recently approved two vaccines, SII'sCovishield and Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech's Covaxin, forrestricted emergency use.