The much-awaited first consignment of Covid-19 vaccine ‘Covishield’ by the Serum Institute of India (SII) reached the State on Tuesday.
The consignment of Covishield consisting of 34 boxes weighing over 1,200 kg arrived at the Biju Patnaik International Airport here at 3.40 pm by a SpiceJet cargo flight from Pune via New Delhi. The vaccines would be kept in a cold room at the airport and later be sent to the State vaccine centre. Insulated vaccine vans from every district would be stationed at the State centre to carry the vaccines to the respective district vaccine stores. The vaccines would further be sent to 1,222 cold chain points for storage.
Health Department Additional Chief Secretary Pradipta Kumar Mohapatra said, “The day has finally arrived. We are fully ready for the vaccination drive that will start on January 16. Our officials will transport the vaccines to the State vaccine centre. I have written to all district Collectors asking them to send insulated vans to the State centre to collect their shares of the vaccines.”
The State has been allotted with 4.08 lakh doses of Covishield and 20,000 doses of Covaxin. In the second phase of the vaccination, Home Department officials including police, paramilitary and Disaster Management personnel and Revenue Department officials would be vaccinated, Mohapatra informed.
Health Director and Vaccine in-Charge Dr Bijay Panigrahi said an increased number of 3.33 lakh beneficiaries would be administered the vaccine in the first phase. “We aim at vaccinating 16,000 people on the first day of the vaccination drive,” he added.