Vaccine transport from SII to start on Jan 11 or 12: sources
PTI | Pune | Updated: 10-01-2021 23:22 IST | Created: 10-01-2021 23:22 IST
With the COVID-19 vaccination drivein India set to rollout on January 16, the transportation ofCovishield vaccine from the Serum Institute of India'sfacility in Pune in Maharashtra is likely to start from theevening of January 11 or on January 12, sources involved inplanning the logistics said on Sunday.
The vaccine-laden trucks will move out from Manjarilocation of the SII with elaborate police security.
The Central government on Saturday said India willlaunch its COVID-19 vaccination drive from January 16, withpriority to be given to nearly three crore health care andfrontline workers.
''With all likelihood, there are possibilities that thetransportation of the Covishield vaccine will start fromMonday. Tentatively, there are plans to start the movement ofthe vaccine on Monday, but if that does not happen by somereasons, it will definitely start from Tuesday morning,'' saidthe sources involved in the planning for security andlogistics for transportation of the vaccine.
Covishield is co-developed bythe University of Oxfordand British-Swedish company AstraZeneca in collaboration withthe SII.
The Maharashtra government has already decided toprovide police security to the trucks carrying the vaccine upto airports and to borders of the state.
''A cold chain logistics service provider - Kool-ExCold Chain Ltd is the lead vendor for the movement of thevaccine from the SII factory to 48 primary governmentlocations (depots) in the first leg,'' company's co-founderRahul Agarwal had said.
He said about 300 GPS-fitted trucks will be used andwhile 500 trucks will be roped in if needed.
On Saturday, Pune police commissioner Amitabh Guptaheld a meeting with representatives of the Kool-ex tostreamline the convoy system for the trucks carrying thevaccine.
''We had a meeting with them. We told them that sincetrucks would start their journey from Pune, a security coverwould be given for the initial period of 10 to 15 days,'' hehad said.
A SII source had said that certain processes are beingfinalised about transportation of the vaccine.
(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
