India has received the largest ever consignment of COVID-19 vaccine till date involving 56.6 tonnes of Russia's Sputnik V vaccine.
The consignment from Russia reached Hyderabad early Tuesday via a specially chartered freighter RU-9450.
According to GMR Hyderabad Air Cargo (GHAC) officials as reported by ANI, several import shipments of vaccines have been received prior to this, but today's shipment of 56.6 tonnes of vaccines is the single largest import shipment of COVID-19 vaccines handled in India till date.
They added that Sputnik V vaccines need specialized handling as it needs to be stored at a temperature of -20 degree Celsius.
GHAC has been working closely with the experts from the customer's supply chain team, officials from the customs department and other relevant stakeholders over an extended period of time to ensure that the necessary infrastructure and handling processes are fully in place at the Air Cargo Terminal for smooth handling of the vaccine shipments.
GHAC further stated that over the next couple of years, major pharma companies in and around Hyderabad are expected to produce or import over 3.5 billion doses of different varieties of COVID vaccines.
Russia's Sputnik V got approval from the Subject expert committee (SEC) for Emergency Use Authorisation (EUA), making it the third COVID-19 vaccine to get clearance in India.
Sputnik V has been imported to India by Dr Reddy's Laboratories and will be manufactured locally by the pharmaceutical major in the coming months.
