Serum Institute yet to receive order from Centre to dispatch Covishield doses

Even as preparations are underway at the Centre for the largest vaccination drive against Covid-19, the Serum Institute of India is yet to get the order to dispatch the consignment of its Covishield vaccine doses.

“We have not dispatched the vaccine doses yet,” SII has officially said.

Twenty million doses were expected to be sent to the Centre, but so far authorities at SII are still awaiting orders to dispatch the vaccine doses. At the production facility at Serum, everything is in readiness and the minute the Centre issues the order, the doses will be sent, said a SII official.

SII had been granted emergency use authorisation by the Drugs Controller General India (DCGI).

The Covid vaccine rollout is set to begin next week, according to a statement made by Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan.

At the state headquarters of the vaccine store, Immunisation Officer Dr D N Patil said that they had not received any order from the Centre or received any doses from Serum Institute.

“We are still awaiting orders from the Centre,” said Dr Patil.

Meanwhile, Maharashtra will participate in the nationwide dry run that has been planned on Friday. On January 2, Pune, Nandurbar, Jalna and Nagpur had participated in the dry run, so these districts will not be involved in the process, Dr Patil said. Pune city, which had not participated in the dry run held on January 2, will be part of the dry run this time.