New Delhi [India], January 12 (ANI): Delhi received 2,64,000 doses of coronavirus vaccine "Covishield" on Monday, said B L Sherwal, Director Rajiv Gandhi Super Speciality Hospital from where the vials will be transported to the vaccination centres soon.

"We have received 22 boxes of COVID-19 vaccine. Each box consists of 12,000 doses and according to this Delhi has received 2,64,000 doses today," said Sherwal.

"Special care has been taken regarding the safety in transporting the vaccine which will soon be taken to the vaccination center from here," he added.

The first consignment of 'Covishield' arrived at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport from Pune on Tuesday morning.

Covishield is among the two coronavirus vaccines in India that have been given approval for emergency use authorisation.

SpiceJet on Tuesday carried the country's first consignment of 'Covidshield' consisting of 34 boxes, weighing 1,088 kilograms from Pune to Delhi, said Ajay Singh, Chairman and Managing Director, SpiceJet.

The consignment, containing vials of the Covishield vaccine, was dispatched from the Pune-based Serum Institute of India in the early hours of Tuesday, ahead of the January 16 launch of the nationwide vaccination drive.

Amid tight security, three trucks carrying the very first consignment of the Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid vaccine left for Pune airport to be flown to 13 locations across the country today. (ANI)

(The above story is verified and authored by ANI staff, ANI is South Asia's leading multimedia news agency with over 100 bureaus in India, South Asia and across the globe. ANI brings the latest news on Politics and Current Affairs in India & around the World, Sports, Health, Fitness, Entertainment, & News. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)