First coronavirus vaccine shots likely on January 13: Health Ministry

Union Health Ministry announced on Tuesday that coronavirus vaccines will be rolled out within 10 days of granting emergency use approval based on the feedback of dry-run across the country.

The announcement by the ministry comes just days after the DCGI (Drugs Controller General of India) approved Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, Covishield, domestically manufactured by the Serum Institute of India and Bharat Biotech's indigenous Covaxin for restricted emergency use.

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Addressing the media, health ministry secretary Rajesh Bhushan said that "based on feedback of dry-run", the government is ready to introduce coronavirus vaccine "within 10 days from the date of emergency use authorisation.

The ministry also put forward the CoWIN Delivery Management plan. "There are 4 primary vaccine stores called GMSD located in Karnal, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata, and there are 37 vaccine stores in the country. They store vaccines in bulk and distributes further," Bhushan informed during a press briefing, adding that the vaccine will further be taken from these stores and taken to sub-centres "via passive equipment like rice boxes."

India's drugs regulator DCGI had on Sunday approved Oxford University's Covid-19 vaccine 'Covishield' being manufactured by the Serum Institute, and the indigenously developed 'Covaxin' manufactured by Bharat Biotech for restricted emergency use in the country, paving way for a massive inoculation drive.

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