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Coronavirus

India readies nationwide COVID vaccination drive with airlift

Air India and private airlines join transport effort ahead of Jan. 16 rollout

Indian budget carrier SpiceJet said the airline carried close to 4 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines weighing around 11 tons on the first day of shipments. (Photo courtesy of the company)

NEW DELHI -- As India prepares to launch what it calls the world's biggest vaccination drive on Saturday, its airlines on Tuesday began transporting Covishield around the country. The shot is one of two COVID-19 vaccines granted emergency approval by the country's drug regulator earlier this month.

Budget carrier SpiceJet said the first consignment of Covishield -- the local name of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine manufactured by the Pune-based Serum Institute of India -- consisting of 34 boxes and weighing 1,088 kg was carried from the western Indian city to Delhi on a morning flight.

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