Pune firm gears up to transport Covid-19 vaccines

Pune (Maharashtra) [India] January 11 : As India is all set to start the massive inoculation drive against the COVID-19 outbreak, the Pune-based logistic firm Kool-ex Cold Chain is prepared to transport the vaccine vials from Serum Institute of India to other parts of the country.
Speaking to ANI, Kool-Ex Managing Director Rahul Agarwal said, "Preparations began a month ago, now we are ready. We have been asked to prepare for vaccine transportation anywhere in India. We have 300-350 vehicles and a back up of 500-600 more. As soon as we get orders, we can start loading vaccine from consigner in 3-4 hours."
Logistics is a major challenge for the vaccine vials which are required to be kept under measured temperature. Plus, in this unprecedented situation when a potential vaccine against the global pandemic attracting the key attention, its security remains a matter of concern.
"We have been doing this for over 12 years. Our trucks are laced with temperature control feature ranging from -25 degrees to +25 degrees Celsius. Every truck is tech-enabled. Various state governments have given security cover for trucks with police escort till the destination," Kunal Agarwal, a director at the company.
The COVID-19 vaccination drive in the country will start on January 16. The decision was taken at a meeting on Saturday in which Prime Minister Narendra Modi reviewed the status of COVID-19 in the country and the preparedness of states and union territories for vaccination against the disease.
Earlier in the month, the Drugs Controller General of India had granted emergency use approval for Serum Institute of India for 'Covishield' vaccine which has been developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford for COVID-19.