Pune: Wait is over. Serum Institute of India (SII) on Tuesday shipped the first consignment of Covishield vaccine. The first consignment containing vials of the vaccine were departed ahead of the January 16 launch of the vaccination drive in India.

Three temperature-controlled trucks along with tight security carrying the first consignment of the vaccine left for Pune airport to be flown to 13 locations around the country. The trucks left the Serum Institute of India premises at Manjari and reached the airport. "The first flight will leave for Delhi from Pune airport," Sandip Bhosale, SB Logistics, the logistics team which is handling air transport of Covishield vaccine from Pune International Airport told ANI.

Chennai, Ahmedabad, Bhubaneswar, Hyderabad, Vijayawada, Kolkata, Delhi, Bengaluru, Karnal, Guwahati, Lucknow and Chandigarh are the locations where vaccines developed by Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines were flown from Pune.

Earlier on Monday, Serum Institute of India (SII) received a purchase order from the central government for 11 million doses of Covishield vaccine. The vaccine would be available at the price of Rs 200 per dose.

Nearly three crore frontline workers will be vaccinated in the first phase of world’s biggest vaccination drive. Those above 50 years and those under 50 years with co-morbid conditions will be vaccinated in the second phase.