The first consignment containing the vials of Covishield vaccines left Serum Institute of India, Pune, four days ahead of the nationwide vaccination drive starting on January 16.
The temperature-controlled trucks rolled out of the Serum Institute gates before 5 am and left for Pune airport. According to reports, the trucks carried 478 boxes of vaccine, and each box weighs 32kg.
"The first flight will leave for Delhi from Pune airport," Sandip Bhosale, SB Logistics, the logistics team. The government has planned to purchase a total of 5.60 crore doses of Serum Institute's Covishield by April 2021 at a ₹200 per dose.