First lot of COVID-19 vaccine vials to arrive in Kolkata on Tuesday

The first consignment of over 10.5 lakh vials of COVID-19 vaccines shall be reaching Kolkata from Pune on Tuesday, a senior official of the state well being division mentioned. Arrangements have been made to ferry the consignment from the town airport to state-owned Central Family Welfare Stores at Bagbazar – the largest depot for stockpiling vaccines in Bengal, he mentioned.

“Tomorrow we shall be receiving the primary consignment of Covid-19 vaccines from Pune. The vials shall be loaded from the Pune airport in the afternoon and can attain right here,” the official mentioned late on Monday evening. Health division officers initially reported that the primary consignment could have round 70-80 lakh vials of COVID-19 vaccines.

At the Bagbazar retailer, 5 walk-in-coolers (WICs) and 4 walk-in-freezers have been ready to retailer the vials, he added. Hoping that distribution of the vials to different districts could start shortly after it arrives, or on Wednesday, the official mentioned all “transportation has been organized”.

“Before the vials are dispatched to different districts, we could have to take down particulars, such because the batch quantity and different specs,” he mentioned. The central authorities had final week mentioned that the nationwide COVID-19 vaccination drive would start on January 16. Frontline staff shall be among the many first ones to obtain the dose.