AGENCIES, New Delhi: Days after granting emergency use approval to two Covid-19 vaccines, the government has announced that the immunization drive will begin in 10 days.
Addressing a press conference on Tuesday, Union health secretary Rajesh Bhushan said that the government was ready to roll out the vaccine drive within 10 days from approval. “Now since the approval has been granted, the vaccine drive will be rolled out within 10 days from that day [Sunday, January 3],” he said.
On Sunday, the Drug Controller General of India granted AstraZeneca’s Covishield and Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin emergency use approval. The first phase of immunisation will be carried out by the government that will focus on healthcare workers, emergency service employees and the elderly.
Speaking to media, Union health secretary Rajesh Bhushan revealed how the approved vaccines will travel from manufacturers to the beneficiaries.
Addressing a press conference, the health secretary said that the manufacturers will send the vaccine to the Government Medical Store Department depots at Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata and Karnal in Haryana by air.
The vaccine will then travel to 37 state vaccine stores from where it will go to district vaccine stores which will then supply primary healthcare centres, designated as Covid-19 immunisation centres.
The health secretary said that India currently has 29,000 cold chain points where the approved vaccines Covishield and Covaxin can be stored safely.
