HYDERABAD: The Telangana government refrained from using Covaxin, India’s first homegrown vaccine made in Hyderabad, on Day 1 of the pan-India Covid-19 vaccination drive on Saturday. This is despite the State’s Chief Minister and Ministers, on various occasions, expressing pride over the vaccine developed by Bharat Biotech.
On Saturday, Covishield, manufactured by Pune-based Serum Institute of India (SII), was used in Telangana. In fact, Telangana Health Minister Eatala Rajender asked the Centre to send more doses of the “Pune vaccine”.
Rajender attributed the need for Covishield to difficulty in fulfilling the conditions that came with the use of Covaxin — getting a consent form signed by the person receiving the jab, and an active follow-up of those who are immunised with it.
Speaking to Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Dr Harsh Vardhan on Saturday, Rajender said, “At the moment, it is difficult to follow the formats sent by the ICMR for Covaxin. It will be better if more doses of the Pune vaccine are sent. Eventually, we will use the Hyderabad vaccine.”