Bollywood celebs react as Covishield sets out across nation ahead of COVID-19 vaccination

In one of the major steps in India’s fight against COVID-19, the first batch of the vaccines were dispatched on Tuesday, ahead of the start of the vaccination process on January 16. The news was cheered by celebrities of the film industry. Conveying their excitement, they wished Serum Institute of India that is rolling out the Covishield vaccine the best for the important initiative.

READ: First Batch Of Covishield Vaccine Consignments Leave Pune's Serum Institute By Air & Road

Bollywood reacts to Covishield roll-out

Actors Nirmat Kaur, Suchitra Krishnamoorthi and Rahul Dev were among the ones who reacted as the much-awaited vaccines were spotted for the first time in consignments. They conveyed  their feeling with words like ‘congrats’, ‘first vaccines’ and ‘yay’.

READ: Govt Committed To Buy Another 4.5 Crore Doses Of Covishield Vaccine

Shekhar Suman was among the others who had reacted the previousl day, hoping that the vaccines were safe, effective and save precious lives. He hoped that the country would soon return to normalcy.

First consignment of Covishield leaves from SII

The first consignment containing vials of Covishield vaccine left Pune's Serum Institute of India in the early hours of Tuesday. Amid tight security, 3 trucks carrying the very first consignment of the Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid vaccine left for Pune airport to be flown to 13 different locations across the country. 

Sandip Bhosale of SB Logistics, the logistics team which is handling air transport of Covishield vaccine from Pune International Airport, said, "The first flight will leave for Delhi from Pune Airport. A total of 8 flights including 2 Cargo flights and other regular commercial flights will be carrying the vaccine. All the vaccines will be dispatched by 10 am."

The 13 locations where the vaccines will be delivered by air on Tuesday include Delhi, Patna, Shillong, Ahmedabad, Chandigarh, Lucknow, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Vijaywada, Bhubaneshwar, Kolkata and Guwahati. The first cargo flight will drop off the consignment at Hyderabad, Vijaywada and Bhubaneshwar, while the second cargo flight will go to Kolkata and Guwahati. The vaccine consignment for Mumbai will leave by road in Kool-ex cold chain trucks, sources added. 

Pune-based logistics firm Kool-ex Cold Chain Ltd has been tasked with ferrying the vaccine stocks via tech-enabled trucks laced with temperature control feature ranging from -25 degrees to +25 degrees Celsius. As per the details shared by pharma logistics company's Directors, Kool-ex trucks will be transporting at least 60 to 70 per cent of vaccine doses across the country

READ: Latest News: Covishield Vaccine Dispatched; Vaccination In Telangana; COVID-19 Tally

READ: Centre Officially Places Order With SII For 'COVISHIELD'; Cost Fixed At Rs 200 Per Dose