First Covishield vaccines consignment leaves Serum Institute, set to reach 13 locations

A decisive phase in India's fight against coronavirus began in the wee hours on Tuesday as the first consignment of Covishield vaccines left Serum Institute of India for Pune airport, four days ahead of the nationwide inoculation drive launch. Three temperature-controlled trucks rolled out of the Serum Institute gates shortly before 5 am and left for Pune airport, from where the vaccines will be flown across India.

The trucks carried 478 boxes of the vaccines, each box weighing 32 kg, a source involved in the vaccine transport arrangements told news agency PTI. The trucks left the Serum Institute of India premises at Manjari and reached the airport, located 15 km from the facility.

From the airport, the vaccines will be dispatched to 13 locations across the country by 10 am, the source said. A 'puja' was performed before the vehicles left the facility. The locations where these Covishield vaccines will be flown from Pune include Delhi, Ahmedabad, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru, Karnal, Hyderabad, Vijayawada, Guwahati, Lucknow, Chandigarh and Bhubaneswar.