Pune Firm Gears Up To Transport COVID-19 Vaccine Vials From Serum Institute Of India

Pune: As India is all set to start the massive inoculation drive against the COVID-19 outbreak, the Pune-based logistic firm Kool-ex Cold Chain is prepared to transport the vaccine vials from Serum Institute of India to other parts of the country. Speaking to ANI, Kool-Ex Managing Director Rahul Agarwal said, “Preparations began a month ago, now we are ready. We have been asked to prepare for vaccine transportation anywhere in India. We have 300-350 vehicles and a backup of 500-600 more. As soon as we get orders, we can start loading vaccine from consigner in 3-4 hours.”

Logistics is a major challenge for the vaccine vials which are required to be kept under measured temperature. Plus, in this unprecedented situation when a potential vaccine against the global pandemic attracting the key attention, its security remains a matter of concern.

Also Read: Government Places Purchase Order With Serum Institute For 11 Million Doses Of Oxford COVID-19 Vaccine

We have been doing this for over 12 years. Our trucks are laced with temperature control feature ranging from -25 degrees to +25 degrees Celsius. Every truck is tech-enabled. Various state governments have given security cover for trucks with police escort till the destination, Kunal Agarwal, a director at the company.

The COVID-19 vaccination drive in the country will start on January 16. The decision was taken at a meeting on Saturday (January 9) in which Prime Minister Narendra Modi reviewed the status of COVID-19 in the country and the preparedness of states and union territories for vaccination against the disease. Earlier in the month, the Drugs Controller General of India had granted emergency use approval for Serum Institute of India for ‘Covishield’ vaccine which has been developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford for COVID-19.

Also Read: COVID-19 Vaccination To Start In India On January 16; 3 Crore Healthcare, Frontline Workers To Get Shots First

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

NDTV – Dettol Banega Swasth India campaign is an extension of the five-year-old Banega Swachh India initiative helmed by Campaign Ambassador Amitabh Bachchan. It aims to spread awareness about critical health issues facing the country. In wake of the current COVID-19 pandemic, the need for WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) is reaffirmed as handwashing is one of the ways to prevent Coronavirus infection and other diseases. The campaign highlights the importance of nutrition and healthcare for women and children to prevent maternal and child mortality, fight malnutrition, stunting, wasting, anaemia and disease prevention through vaccines. Importance of programmes like Public Distribution System (PDS), Mid-day Meal Scheme, POSHAN Abhiyan and the role of Aganwadis and ASHA workers are also covered. Only a Swachh or clean India where toilets are used and open defecation free (ODF) status achieved as part of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2014, can eradicate diseases like diahorrea and become a Swasth or healthy India. The campaign will continue to cover issues like air pollution, waste management, plastic ban, manual scavenging and sanitation workers and menstrual hygiene.