India to begin Covid-19 immunization drive from January 13

Days after granting emergency use approval to two Covid-19 vaccines, the Government of India has announced that the immunization drive will begin by January 13 or January 14. On Sunday, the Drug Controller General of India granted AstraZeneca’s Covishield and Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin emergency use approval.

Addressing a press conference on Tuesday, Union health secretary Rajesh Bhushan said that the government was ready to roll out the vaccine drive within 10 days from approval. “Now since the approval has been granted, the vaccine drive will be rolled out within 10 days from that day [Sunday, January 3],” he said.

The first phase of immunisation will



focus on healthcare workers, emergency service employees and the elderly.

Speaking to the media on Tuesday, Union health secretary Rajesh Bhushan said manufacturers will send doses of the vaccine to the Government Medical Store Department depots at Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata and Karnal in Haryana by air. The vaccine will then travel to 37 state vaccine stores from where it will go to district vaccine stores which will then supply primary health care centres, designated as Covid-19 immunisation centres.

India currently has 29,000 cold chain points where the approved vaccines Covishield and Covaxin can be stored safely, Union health secretary Rajesh Bhushan added.