Himachal's Baddi among 9 places for Sputnik V pilot launch

Himachal Pradesh Polity and Governance

Himachal Pradesh's Baddi is among nine cities where the limited pilot launch of the Russian Covid shot Sputnik V will soon be extended with preparations in the final stages.
The pilot, to test cold storage at minus 18 degrees, and other logistics, is being extended to Baddi and eight other cities -- Vishakapatnam, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Kolkata, Delhi, Chennai, Miyalguda and Kolhapur after a successful pilot in Hyderabad.
Being a limited pilot, registration on COWIN will not be open to people of these cities but the doses will become available once the shot is commercially launched. The pilot phase will allow to test cold storage arrangements at minus 18 degree in these nine cities apart from COWIN integration, track and trace and other logistical requirements ahead of commercial launch.
Dr Reddy's said an adequate number of cold chain units were being deployed and last-mile cold chain arrangement being validated at every partner hospital to ensure seamless storage and handling of the vaccine.