Highest number of COVID vaccines in Bengal has been allocated to Kolkata

Bengal, Jan 14: Kolkata has been allocated the highest number of COVID vaccines in West Bengal, at 93,500, for the first phase of the vaccination drive scheduled to begin on January 16, a senior health official said on Thursday.

Following the COVID vaccine in Kolkata, North 24 Parganas district has been allocated the second-highest number of COVID vaccines at 47,000, followed by Murshidabad at 37,500, he said.

All necessary preparations are on the track for the vaccine rollout. The district-wise allocation has been made as per data uploaded on CoWIN portal as of January 12, 9.45 am for the first dose of COVID vaccination of health workers and personnel of armed forces,” the Health Department said in a communication to the CMOHs in all the districts.

West Bengal has been allocated 6, 44,500 vaccines for the first phase of the drive.

As per the source, along with the virtual launch of the pan-India vaccination drive on Saturday, PM Modi will also officially launch the Co-WIN app on January 16.

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain is expected to join the interactive webcast with PM Modi.

Four more vaccines are expected to be on board in the current year.

On the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda (12th January), India’s Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said that the country’s regulators are looking at four more Covid-19 vaccines in the pipeline. Among these are the vaccines developed by Zydus Cadilla, Russia’s Sputnik-V, Biological E, and Gennova.

Zydus Cadilla completed the Phase 2 clinical trials of its coronavirus vaccine in December of last year and has been granted approval for Phase 3. Similarly, the Phase 2 clinical trials of Russia’s Sputnik-V Covid-19 vaccine have also concluded and Phase 3 trials are being carried out by its Indian partner Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories.

In the case of Biological E, the Phase 1 clinical trials of its vaccine started in December and Phase 2 is expected to begin in March. Gennova’s RnA-based Covid-19 vaccine is currently in Phase 1 with Phase 2 clinical trials likely to begin in March of this year.

The Government of India is purchasing 100 million doses of the University of Oxford and AstraZeneca’s Covid-19 vaccine Covishield from Pune-based Serum Institute of India (SII) at the cost of Rs 200 per dose.