Covid vaccination in India: 1st batch of Covaxin reaches Delhi, lakhs of Covishield doses received at states, UTs

India Covid-19 Vaccination Update: India has begun transportation of Covid vaccines – Covishield and Covaxin- ahead of the World’s biggest vaccination drive. While transportation of Serum Institute of India’s Covishield began on January 12, the first consignment of Covaxin developed by Bharat Biotech has brought from Hyderabad to Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi on an Air India flight this morning.

In Maharastra, the first consignment of Covishield has reached Mumbai this morning. The Covid vaccine was transported from Pune in a special vehicle of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). Maharashtra Health Department has stated that a total of 9.63 lakh Covid vaccine doses have been received for Maharashtra from Serum Institute of India. These Covid doses were distributed to different cities or districts of the state.

Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma said that around 35,000 doses of Covishield reached the State Vaccination Center in Shillong. The first batch of vaccine arrived in Guwahati 20 boxes containing 12 thousand for Assam and Meghalaya

The first consignment of 6,89,000 doses of Covishield also reached Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International airport in Kolkata by special cargo flight from Pune. Vaccination to begin from January 16.

Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has stated that the first batch of Covishiedl vaccine has arrived in Bhubaneshwar. During the first phase, more than 3.28 lakh frontline health workers in Odisha will be administered with the vaccine.

In Andhra Pradesh, the first batch of 4.75 lakh Covid vaccines reached Vijayawada Airport from Pune. The vaccines have been transported to the State Immunization Storage Center at Gannavaram through a special container.

The first consignment of Covishield reached Goa this morning. The two boxes received were handed over to the State Health Department, Goa Airport Director Gagan Malik has said.

The central government has assured that 100 per cent of Covid vaccine doses reach all states and Union Territories by January 14. There are four Government Medical Stores Depots (GMSDs) at Haryana’s Karnal, Kolkata, Chennai, and Mumbai. All states have at least one state-level regional vaccine store. However, Uttar Pradesh has nine, Madhya Pradesh has four, Gujarat has four, Kerala has three, Jammu and Kashmir has two, Karnataka has two, and Rajasthan has two stores.

Who will get Covid 19 vaccines?

Around one crore Health Care workers both from public and private health facilities. As many as 2 crore front line workers which include State and Central Police Personnel, Armed Forces Personnel, Home Guards, Civil Defense, and Disaster Management Volunteers, Municipal Workers, Prison staff, Revenue workers involved in containment and surveillance. Around 27 crore population of prioritized age-groups of 50 years and individuals less than 50 years with co-morbidities.

Covid 19 vaccines prices, side effects, efficacy

The Government of India is procuring 110 lakh doses of Covishield from the Serum Institute of India at the cost of 200 per dose. Apart from these, the Central government is also procuring 55 lakh doses of Covaxin from Bharat Biotech. The cost of 38.5 lakh doses of Covaxin is Rs 295 per dose, excluding taxes. Bharat Biotech is providing 16.5 lakh doses of Covaxin free of cost to the Central government. Hence, the cost of Covaxin is 206 per dose.

Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan has said that the price of a single dose of Pfizer-BioNTech’s Covid vaccine is Rs 1,431 (USD 19.50). One dose of the Moderna Covid vaccine will cost between Rs 2,348 and Rs 2,715 (USD 32-37). While a single dose of Sputnik V will cost less than Rs 734 (Less than USD 10), Johnson and Johson will be priced at Rs 734 per dose (USD 10).

There must be a gap of 28 days between two doses. The effectiveness will begin 14 days after the inoculation of the second dose.