Second COVID vaccine consignment arrives in Odisha

Bhubaneswar: Odisha received the second consignment of COVID vaccine on Wednesday as a special plane carrying 20,000 vials of indigenously developed ‘Covaxin’ arrived at the Biju Patnaik International Airport here, an official said.

The state had received its first consignment of COVID vaccine on Tuesday when 40,822 vials of ‘Covishield’, manufactured by Pune’s Serum Institute of India, arrived on a special flight.

The vials of Covaxin, manufactured in Hyderabad by Bharat Biotech and ICMR, were transported to the State Vaccine Store here amid tight security, he said.

Covaxin will be administered to people in the state capital and Covishield in the districts, the official said.

If more Covaxin doses are available, those will be administered to people in other urban areas, he said.

The first consignment of Covishield comprising 4.08 lakh doses will be dispatched to all the districts within 48 hours before the launch of the vaccination drive on January 16, the official said.

Vaccines have already reached Cuttack, Puri and Nayagarh districts and special vehicles with police escorts have been lined up for transportation of the vials to all the 162 vaccination centres.

Expressing his happiness over the arrival of COVID vaccines, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said in a statement, “It is a moment of great joy. Odisha is fully prepared with an elaborate system for a seamless vaccination programme to save precious lives. (PTI)