New Delhi, December 22: The first shipment of COVID-19 vaccine in Delhi, the Indian national capital, is expected to be received by December last week, said reports. The city with a population of around 2 crores was recently hit by a "third wave" of the pandemic. The regional government has begun preparations for the immunisation drive that is likely to be started early next year. Vaccine Against New Coronavirus Strain Can be Developed in 6 Weeks, Says BioNTech.

"The first shipment of the coronavirus vaccine will reach Delhi in December last," India Today TV sources were reported as saying. The exact date of shipment of doses was not reported. No confirmation about the same was issued by the government spokesperson.

The Delhi government has identified 609 cold storage points for the vaccine doses. Over 3,000 healthcare workers are being trained to administer the doses. Most of the vaccines that are under consideration are required to be given in two shots to the recipients - both separated by 28 days.

Six vaccines- one developed by Bharat Biotech in collaboration with ICMR, second one developed by Zydus Cadila, third one by Gennova, Oxford vaccine, trial of which is conducted by Serum Institute of India, Sputnik V vaccine which is being manufactured by Dr Reddy's Lab, Hyderabad, in collaboration with Russia's Gamaleya National Centre and the sixth one manufactured by Biological E Ltd, Hyderabad, in collaboration with MIT, USA are undergoing clinical trials in India

On whether a vaccine will be safe as it is being tested and introduced in a short span of time and what can be the possible side-effects, the ministry said vaccines will be introduced in the country only after the regulatory bodies clear it based on its safety and efficacy.

"COVID-19 vaccine will be introduced only when the safety is proven. As is true for other vaccines, the common side effects in some individuals could be mild fever, pain, etc., at the site of injection," the Union Health Ministry said in the FAQs.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 22, 2020 04:19 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).